The drive would ensure that there is no duplicity of ration cards. The earlier plan of a smart card replacing ration card is not working. Even as the state has nearly completed the drive,Pune will start the drive in February, said Pradip Patil,the food distribution officer in the city.

A new form with all the details has been issued by the district Public Distribution System (PDS). Those not filling the form or giving wrong information will have their cards cancelled or face penalty. With 10 lakh ration card holders in the city,the district ration card office have distributed the forms to 1,020 fair price shops in the city.

The ration card holder will have to submit all personal details such as address,members named in the card,along with residence proof and photo of the card holder to the department or zone concerned. The department wants to assure that the drive will be a check on the ration cards in the city. Those who do not submit the details will have their cards cancelled as it is mandatory to put in their details, he added. The drive would also curb unethical practices being carried out by touts at zonal offices.

The drive was to be carried out in December itself,but there was a delay in receiving the forms from the government. The department has moved into action after a number of fake cases surfaced,including bogus cards issued in the name of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and terrorist Ajmal Kasab from the zonal offices. All the eight zonal offices have been asked to carry out the drive systematically.