Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has notified an amendment to the Odisha Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016, to address the misuse of PDS benefits in the names of deceased ration card holders.
The amendment, directed by the High Court of Orissa, fixes responsibility on the Head of Household or authorized member to report deaths for immediate deletion from the Ration Card Management System (RCMS) database.
The amendment mandates that the Head of Household or nominee must inform the FPS Licensee and/or concerned Officer of the State Government about deceased persons in the ration card.
In case of failure to report, the cost of PDS commodities received in the name of the dead person will be recovered from the concerned family, 1.5 times the prevailing Economic Cost. If the nominee receives PDS commodities on behalf of a dead beneficiary, they will be liable for cost recovery at prevailing Economic Cost.
The amendment aims to prevent fraud, ensure database accuracy, and safeguard public resources.
