TN rejects half of ration card applications, claims more than one from many households

OUT of nearly 2.65 lakh new family ration card applications pending with the Tamil Nadu government since July 2023, 1.36 lakh have been rejected.

- B ANBUSELVAN @Chennai

The state civil supplies and consumer protection department attributed the high rejection rate to an influx of applications from families residing in the same household.

Further compounding the strict scrutiny of applications were the challenges consumers faced in deleting names from existing ration cards — a prerequisite for applying for new ones (for instance when a person moves out of a household after getting married). Additionally, the requirement of a marriage registration certificate proved to be an impediment to many, further restricting their ability to apply for new ration cards.