Ludhiana, April 30 -- Even as the government has relaxed eligibility norms under the second phase of e-KYC verification, the continued freeze on issuing new ration cards in Ludhiana has left many eligible residents without access to subsidised foodgrains under the public distribution system (PDS).

Officials said no fresh notification has been issued for new blue card registrations in the district for the past two to three years. The halt has been linked to a cap on beneficiaries fixed under the PDS, based on outdated population estimates.

At present, around 16 lakh beneficiaries are covered under nearly 4.4 lakh ration cards in Ludhiana through about 1,600 fair price shops.

Department sources admitted that the number of beneficiaries h...