Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Aug 31: More than 400 ration cards have been surrendered across Goa in the last 45 days by beneficiary families whose annual income levels rose beyond the eligibility limits under various categories.

According to Civil Supplies Department officials, 246 ration cards were surrendered in North Goa and 141 in South Goa. Of these, nearly 89 per cent belonged to families under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) categories, while only 10 per cent were Above Poverty Line (APL) cards.

Interestingly, in the same period, 100 new APL ration cards were issued, mostly to those families who had surrendered their NFSA and BPL cards after breaching income thresholds. In total, 103 new cards were issued during this 45-day period, all in North Goa.
The State currently has over 2.62 lakh active ration cards, of which 1.24 lakh are Priority Household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) cards covered under the NFSA. The remaining 1.37 lakh cards fall under the APL category.

Officials revealed a sharp spike in voluntary surrenders during July–August, with 387 NFSA cards and 44 APL cards being given up.

The new rules mandate compulsory digital KYC compliance, enabling easier verification of beneficiaries by Civil Supplies inspectors. As per the revised norms, SC/ST households with annual income above Rs 50,000–Rs 1 lakh must surrender their NFSA cards and may apply for a BPL card. However, if their annual income crosses Rs 5 lakh, even the BPL card must be surrendered.