Food Security Act portal corrects data on ‘silent cards’ in Tamil Nadu

The portal of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), maintained by the Union government’s Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), has corrected the data with regard to ‘silent cards’ in Tamil Nadu. 

The portal of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), maintained by the Union government’s Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), has corrected the data with regard to ‘silent cards’ in Tamil Nadu. 

This is in the wake of the publication of a report by The Hindu on February 20, 2025, titled ‘Central govt web portal presents misleading picture about ration cards in use in T.N.’

The report stated, quoting the figures as put out in the portal, that out of 1,13, 60,734 ration cards (18,03,536 Antyodaya Anna Yojana cards and 95,57,198 Priority Household cards), 96.9 lakh cards (16 lakh AAY cards and about 80.9 lakh PHH cards) were silent cards, meaning that nearly 85% of the cardholders did not draw their entitlements for three months. 

As per the revised version, the State has only 3,25,670 such cards, of which AAY accounts for 22,519 and PHH, 3,03,151 cards.