GORAKHPUR, Dec. 14 -- 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 families. According to district officials, around 40,000 ration cards were cancelled in urban areas, while nearly 37,000 were struck off in rural parts of Gorakhpur. The large number of cancellations highlights the scale of irregularities detected during the verification process. Singh said only households fulfilling the prescribed eligibility norms will be issued new ration cards after proper verification. Applicants will be required to submit valid income certificates, Aadhaar details, and other mandatory documents. Under the current system, beneficiaries covered under the Priority Household scheme receive 5 kilograms of food grains per unit, while families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana are entitled to 35 kilograms of free ration per card. The administration has urged eligible residents who are still left out to apply for ration cards, assuring that genuine applicants will be included.htc...