UP Ration Scam: Aadhaar Misused To Divert Subsidised Food To 100 Fake Beneficiaries Per Card; CID Recommends Action Against Officials

Lucknow: An investigation into Uttar Pradesh’s high profile ration scam has revealed large scale misuse of Aadhaar authentication. In Bareilly, Agra, and Meerut divisions, a single Aadhaar card was used to distribute subsidised food to up to 100 fake recipients.

Out of 134 pending cases across three divisions, CID has resolved 110 and recommended departmental action against concerned Additional District Magistrates and District Supply Officers (DSOs). FIRs have been advised against some DSOs, pointing to systemic negligence and collusion.

The scam, which first surfaced between 2015 and 2018, involved ration dealers misappropriating food grains meant for BPL families. Despite complaints reaching the state government, investigations by the Economic Offences Wing stagnated. The probe was only transferred to CID in February 2024.

The core of the fraud lies in the manipulation of Aadhaar linked beneficiary data. Local food officials, in coordination with dealers, uploaded alternate Aadhaar details into the system while replacing them with genuine data when sending reports to the government. This digital sleight ensured that fake distributions went undetected.

In a notable case, CID has recommended departmental action against the then Meerut DSO, Vikas Gautam, with charges already filed in court. Multiple supply inspectors, dealers, salesmen, and computer operators are under legal scrutiny.

To curb such frauds, the government plans to implement L-1 biometric devices that verify fingerprints only when live blood flow is detected. However, critics argue that stronger oversight, not just better machines, is what the system truly lacks.

Despite claims that free ration distribution remains a top priority, this scam has once again exposed the administrative blind spots that enable large-scale diversion of essential resources.

How the Scam Worked?

In Bareilly, Agra, and Meerut divisions, dealers misused Aadhaar data to siphon off rations meant for the poor. CID found that a single Aadhaar number was linked to 90–100 fake beneficiaries. Officials edited authentic beneficiary records and uploaded manipulated Aadhaar details into the system.

Fingerprints of minors and unrelated individuals were used to authenticate false transactions. The genuine Aadhaar details were restored when reports were sent to the state, masking the fraud. This allowed dealers and complicit officials to sell subsidised food on the black market, while real beneficiaries were denied entitlements.