GORAKHPUR, Dec. 13 -- In a major step to ensure transparency and fair distribution of food grains, the Gorakhpur district administration has cancelled nearly 45,000 ration cards found to be ineligible during an extensive verification drive under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

District supply officer Ramendra Pratap Singh said the food and civil supplies department has cancelled more than 80,000 ration cards over the past year. These included beneficiaries who no longer met the eligibility criteria under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) schemes.

He added that the exercise is part of an ongoing campaign to remove ineligible beneficiaries and ensure that government benefits reach only genuinely deserving ...