The government has so far issued 86.16 lakh smart ration cards in the State, according to Food and Civil Supplies Minister R Kamaraj.

Of the total a total 1.91 crore ration cards, 1.37 crore were Aadhar-linked and 51.59 lakh cards were under process. The delay has been owing to some anomalies like wrong names furnished, he told mediapersons on the sidelines of a meeting to review the progress of issuance of smart ration cards here.

Around 1.96 lakh consumers were yet to link their Aadhar card entry with the ration cards, he said and committees were formed to clear anomalies so that these could be issued at the earliest. It being a dream project of the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the government was taking efforts to complete the issuance of smart cards on war footing, he added.

In Coimbatore, of the 9.42 lakh rations cards, 3.52 lakh smart cards had been issued so far.

In the last six years, 972 persons involved in smuggling of PDS articles had been detained under the Goondas Act, he said. Municipal Administration Minister, S P Velumani, District Collector T N Hariharan and senior officials from the food and supplies department from the eight western districts participated in the review meeting.