Karnataka pauses BPL ration card cancellations pending review

Karnataka's food and civil supplies minister Rizwan Arshad has paused the cancellation of additional BPL ration cards pending a detailed review. Speaking at Udupi on Saturday, Arshad said the Centre had provided data identifying around 7.5 lakh ration cards for cancellation and that nearly four lakh cards had already been cancelled on its directions. The remaining 3.5 lakh pending cancellations are on hold, and he will consult the state government to decide next steps.

Arshad urged all ration cardholders to complete KYC by September 30. The Centre has directed the state to conduct a fresh KYC drive covering 2.59 crore ration cards. The minister said Karnataka qualifies for broader coverage under the National Food Security Act, but the central government has capped beneficiaries at 4 crore. He plans to meet the Union minister to discuss expanding coverage by 50 lakh people.

Separately, the Deccan Herald reports that the department will distribute two months' foodgrains for August and September to eligible beneficiaries under various ration card categories in Bengaluru. Beneficiaries must provide separate biometric authentication for each month. Those whose e-KYC was completed five years ago must visit their fair price shops and complete the process by September 2026.