Odisha to suspend ration cards of 20.58 lakh people for not doing e-KYC verification: Minister

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will suspend ration cards of nearly 20.58 lakh people for not doing e-KYC verification, a minister said here on Monday.

Speaking to media persons, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra 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 e-KYC 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. 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.