Data glitch: Family ID errors erase poor off BPL rolls in Sirsa district
In Haryana’s Sirsa district, thousands of poor families are facing severe hardships after errors in the update process of their Family IDs (Parivar Pehchan Patra) wrongly removed them from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) list.
Due to entries incorrectly showing assets not actually owned by such families, over 34,000 ration cards have been cancelled in just 5 months.
Many deserving families are now cut off from essential government benefits, struggling to get their records corrected amid bureaucratic delays.
What caused the ordeal?
The removal of several families from the BPL list was caused by errors during a recent update of Family IDs by the Citizen Resources Information Department (CRID). The department cross-checked eligibility using digital data such as income tax returns, vehicle registrations, and land sales records. However, the process linked incorrect information to many families’ IDs. For example, some poor families were recorded as owning multiple vehicles or large properties, which they did not possess. This led to a sharp reduction in Ration Card holders — from 2.92 lakh in May to 2.58 lakh in June. This disqualified many needy people from receiving government aid.
How are the errors affecting the lives of those wrongly removed?
The errors have created a crisis for many families. These families depended on ration and other government schemes for survival. Mahaveer Prasad, a temple priest, lost his BPL benefits because his Family ID now falsely records three vehicles in his name, though he only owns a bicycle. Similarly, Anil Kumar Sen, a barber, and Manoj Kumar, a vegetable seller, also had vehicles wrongly added to their records, resulting in loss of benefits. Many have repeatedly visited government offices seeking corrections, but have received little assistance. For poor households, losing these benefits means struggling to afford basic necessities, making the situation all the more grave.
A one-time error or part of a bigger problem?
These errors appear widespread and systemic. A Common Service Centre (CSC) operator said 70-80 per cent people visiting his centre complained about incorrect entries in their Family IDs, affecting their BPL status. Several reports have surfaced of vehicles and properties being wrongly recorded due to someone with a similar name owning them. For instance, Mahender Kumar from Beharwala village had a car linked to his ID that belonged to another person with the same name.
Some rich village landlords reportedly continue to receive BPL benefits, while many poor families are unfairly excluded, highlighting flaws in the data verification process.
What steps are the authorities taking to resolve the issue?
Officials have admitted to the problem, and are working to address it. Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) and CRID Nodal Officer Virender Sehrawat said complaints were being investigated by a research wing tasked with correcting errors quickly. However, the backlog of unresolved cases remains large. The ADC pointed out that some individuals misused the system by declaring ownership of vehicles via affidavits without official registration to claim benefits, and were being removed from the BPL list accordingly.
Despite efforts to weed out fraud, genuine poor families still face difficulties in getting their records fixed. Many await faster, more effective government intervention to restore their rightful benefits.
Haryana Tribune