Gurugram: Haryana reported a fivefold increase in the distribution of Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration cards between April 2022 and September 2024, raising concerns over a perceived rise in poverty in the state. In the same period, the number of Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries rose by nearly 20 percent.
Responding to an unstarred question in the Haryana Assembly during question hour Tuesday, Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Rajesh Nagar said the number of families under BPL had increased to 46,45,310 in September 2024 from 8,82,417 in April 2022. He also said AAY rose to 2,92,845 from 2,44,603 in that period.
Nagar attributed it to the government’s efforts to ensure food security for vulnerable populations.
BPL rations cards are issued to families determined to be below the poverty line established by the state government. Under AAY, those classified as the ‘poorest of the poor’ are eligible for subsidised food grains. According to the 2011 census, there are more than 2.54 crore people in the Haryana.
The data presented in response to Rohtak Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra’s question also showed that some districts witnessed a significant rise in the number of BPL ration cards.
Faridabad saw the biggest increase, adding 3,08,290 BPL cards, taking the total to 35,0689 in September 2024 from 42,399 in April 2022. Similarly, 2,63,911 BPL cards were issued in Hisar, where it rose from 61,395 to 3,25,306. In Karnal, BPL cards issued increased by 2,20,362, taking the total from 60,252 to 2,80,614.
Other districts with significant increases included Sonipat, Palwal, and Nuh (known as Mewat before 2016).
The AAY category also expanded, with districts such as Nuh, Hisar, and Fatehabad recording the highest increases. In contrast, some urban centers like Gurgaon, Kaithal, and Faridabad saw a decline in the number of AAY ration cards by 3,322, 2,322 and 225, respectively.
On Wedneday, in response to another question by Pooja Mullana, the Congress MLA from Mullana, the Haryana government said the total beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) increasing from approximately 52.4 lakh in 2020-21 to over 2.13 crore in 2024-25.
Nagar further shared that the number of AAY and BPL ration cardholders saw a continuous rise over the 5 years between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
In 2020-21, there were 2,42,537 AAY and 8,67,328 BPL ration cards, covering a total of 11,09,865 families and benefiting 52,40,111 individuals.
The following year, in 2021-22, the total beneficiaries was 11,21,656 families and 49,09,594 individuals—with 2,43,327 AAY and 8,78,329 BPL cards.
By 2022-23, the figures surged to 2,51,116 AAY and 23,95,359 BPL cards, covering 26,46,475 families and 1,12,12,176 beneficiaries.
In 2023-24, the number further grew to 2,98,732 AAY and 42,00,718 BPL ration cards, encompassing 44,99,450 families and 1,80,44,094 beneficiaries.
As of February 2025, the latest data shows 2,89,815 AAY and 49,06,565 BPL ration cards, reaching a total of 51,96,380 families and benefiting 2,13,49,764 individuals.
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‘Poor becoming poorer’
Mahabir Jaglan, a political analyst, said that such a massive jump in BPL ration cards in such a short time was “unimaginable”.
Noting that BPL ration cards increased by more than 3 lakh in Faridabad and 2 lakh in Hisar, Karnal, Sonipat and Sirsa districts, he said, “the process of pauperiSation of masses is in the fast forward mode.”
“These are not the economically backward districts of Haryana. In fact, Faridabad is among the industrially developed districts, while Karnal and Sirsa are among agriculturally developed districts of the state,” Jaglan said.
“Another surprise is that the beneficiaries of Antodaya Anna Yojna in Haryana increased by about 20 percent during two and half years. That means that the poor are becoming poorer.”
While Nuh is among the most economically backward districts of Haryana, he said, it was inexplicable that developed districts like Karnal, Rohtak, Fatehabad and Hisar also saw a spurt in the number of AAY beneficiaries. In Nuh, AAY beneficiaries rose by 7,240.
“The story that emerges from the data provided by the government seems to be ‘aadhi hakikat aadha fasana’ (half truth, half fiction).”
He noted that between April 2022 and September 2024, Haryana experienced the highest unemployment rate in India, estimated as high as 37.2 by the think tank Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).
“It’s true that Haryana is no longer an economically vibrant state and its economic growth has retarded during the last one decade. It has had a big impact on the employment and livelihood of the people in the lower rung of the society.”
“The unemployment rate of youth was much higher than this during this period. And naturally, this led to the impoverishment of the people,” Jaglan added.
He also suggested that the other dimension of the story could be that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party misused the administrative machinery to enlarge the number of “labharthi” (beneficiaries) ahead of the 2024 parliamentary and Haryana Assembly elections.
“When I visited my village before the parliamentary election, I was told by people that a large number of people were issued BPL cards. The young people in the landed families who did not experience property were issued separate BPL cards. Anyway, the complete truth about this would come out only if there is a detailed investigation and a white paper is issued,” Jaglan said.
Jyoti Mishra, a research associate at the Lokniti-CSDS (Centre for Study of Developing Societies) in Delhi, said, “The sharp rise in the number of BPL ration cardholders in Haryana over the past five years is a clear indicator of growing economic distress and deepening poverty in the state.”
Mishra told ThePrint that the trend suggests that despite claims of economic growth, a significant section of the population is struggling to meet basic needs, pushing them towards government welfare schemes.
“The surge from 52 lakh beneficiaries in 2020-21 to over 2.13 crore in 2025 is alarming and points to job losses, rural distress, and widening income inequality. If not addressed through sustainable economic policies and employment generation, this could have serious political and social implications for the state.”
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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