Odias working outside state fret over mandatory E-KYC update in ration card; govt mulls to send teams

Odias working outside the state are left in the lurch over the fear of cancellation of their ration cards due to the mandatory E-KYC updates as it is difficult for them to come home from a long distance by taking leaves and spending huge amounts of money to update E-KYC in ration cards. 

Under the circumstances, some dealers are extorting money by reaching near them to update data and they are charging Rs 400 to Rs 500 per person for the purpose.

Take the case of Odia workers from Bhadrak, Basudebpur and Tihidi who are working in Bengaluru to earn their livelihood. As it is becoming difficult for them to come home due to scarcity of time and with so much expenditure, they have demanded that the government should take steps to address their problems.

Meanwhile, some PDS dealers have volunteered to visit the Odia beneficiaries residing outside the State and update E-KYC with their own expenditure by September 28.

“Many migrant workers working outside the State are facing lots of problems to update E-KYC in ration cards. Many of them have requested me to help them. I will travel to Delhi soon with my own expenditure and help them,” said Tushar Ranjan Sahu, a PDS dealer in Bhandaripokhari.

Several migrant workers from Ganjam district are also working in various parts of the country and abroad. They are worried about E-KYC updates in their ration cards. Take the case of Ladu Swain’s son Jitendra Swain from Patapur village under Sanakhemundi block in the district. Jitendra is working in Oman with a two-year contract and he can’t come home by spending lakhs of rupees to update E-KYC.

“How could our son come from abroad to have E-KYC updates in our ration cards by spending lakhs of rupees? We don’t have any option now,” rued Jitendra’s mother Mamata Swain.

Similar is the case of Surendra Dalei’s son Prabhakar from the village who has been working in Dubai for the last two months.

“Parents are afraid of losing their ration card. Poor people will suffer because of it. The government has taken the right step by asking to have E-KYC updates in ration cards. However, the process should be simplified,” said Chandrasekhar Swain, a resident of Sanakhemundi.

In response to the problems and demands of the beneficiaries residing outside the State, Food Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said that the government is mulling to send teams to help them.

“Odia people are living in different cities across India and they are facing problems to come to Odisha to have E-KYC updates in ration cards. The government is mulling to send teams to different cities to help the beneficiaries and complete the process,” said Patra.