The government has pruned about 2.25 crore ineligible beneficiaries of the free monthly ration scheme in the last 4-5 months as it looks to make the programme more focused to benefit only the rightful, a top Food Ministry official said on Tuesday (November 18, 2025).
The 5 kg free foodgrains (wheat and rice) per month is provided to only poor as a means for providing them monthly sustenance.
However, unintended beneficiaries — those owning four-wheelers, having monthly income above threshold or directorship of companies, had crept into the list under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
"Around 2.25 crore ineligible beneficiaries have been weeded out from the NFSA," Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra told reporters in New Delhi.
The Secretary said the exercise had been made to ensure better targeting of "rightful" beneficiaries.
