The Odisha government has deleted the names of 1,77,068 deceased beneficiaries from the Public Distribution System (PDS) database since June 15, 2024, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra informed the state assembly on Wednesday.

Responding to a query by Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, Patra stated that no false ration cards have been detected in Odisha during the same period.

The minister revealed district-wise data, highlighting Ganjam as the highest with 24,579 deletions, followed by Balasore (14,436), Bhadrak (12,990), Cuttack (12,139), and Kendrapara (11,736).

The move is part of an ongoing effort to maintain transparency and ensure the rightful allocation of benefits under the PDS.