No e-KYC, no rice: Govt warns beneficiaries

Bhubaneswar : The Odisha government will suspend ration cards of nearly 20.58 lakh
people for not doing e-KYC verification, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister
Krushna Chandra Patra said here on Monday. Speaking to media persons, the Minister said the last day for e-KYC (know your customer) verification was Monday (June 30). The e-KYC verification drive was started across the state in August 2024 to remove ineligible and dead beneficiaries from the national and state food security schemes. The deadline was extended multiple times.”We are planning to suspend the ration cards of 20.58 lakh beneficiaries, who have not completed their eKYC verification till the last date. We will give them a window period of three months,” Patra said. During the next three months, their rice quota will not be issued so that all genuine beneficiaries will come to the fair price stores for their quota of rice, he said.” Whenever they will visit the
PDS store, we will conduct their e-KYC verification and renew their ration cards,” the minister said. He further said that the government will deactivate the ration cards of the beneficiaries, who will not turn out at the PDS stores during the period.As per available data, a total of 3.25 crore people in the state are beneficiaries under the National
Food Security Act (NFSA), while another 6.48 lakh people have been covered under the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS). On paddy procurement, Patra said the government has procured 19 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during this Rabi crop season while 12 lakh MT of paddy were procured during the last Rabi season. Still, the government will procure paddy from farmers, who have taken their paddy to mandis and got tokens, said the minister while advising such farmers to complete their iris scan.”As per the new
rule, those who fail to complete e-KYC will no longer receive rice under PDS from this month. The supply will be suspended for three months,” the Minister stated. He clarified that ration benefits will only resume after successful e-KYC verification. “If the e-KYC is not completed within these three months, the beneficiary’s ration card will be permanently cancelled,” Patra warned. The state government has urged all eligible beneficiaries to complete the e-KYC process as soon as possible to ensure continued access to subsidised food grains.A higher amount of paddy was procured during this
year because the state government has started providing Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy to the registered farmers. Earlier, many farmers were selling their paddy to traders of other states, he said.

About Post Author