Odisha extends deadline for e-KYC of PDS beneficiaries till Dec 31

Odisha government on Sunday extended the deadline for electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) completion under public distribution system (PDS) till December 31.

Also Read: Odisha to stop free PDS rice to over 15 lakh beneficiaries; double quota for verified cardholders

According to a notification issued by the Department of Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, beneficiaries who have not yet completed their Aadhaar-linked e-KYC have been advised to do so within the extended period.

The e-KYC verification can be carried out at any designated Ration Card Management Centre across the State.

Official sources said the extension aims to ensure that no eligible family is deprived of the government’s subsidised food grains due to delays in Aadhaar authentication.

The Food Supplies Department urged beneficiaries to take advantage of the additional time and complete their e-KYC formalities to continue receiving ration benefits smoothly.

Worth mentioning, earlier, the Odisha government had announced that free rice under the national and state food security schemes will be discontinued from November for ration cardholders who have not completed e-KYC verification.

Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra had said the decision was taken in line with the Central government’s directive, making e-KYC mandatory for all ration cardholders under the PDS.

In an interaction with mediapersons, the Minister had added that more than 15.67 lakh beneficiaries across the State remain unverified despite repeated extensions. He said that while they have been provided rice till October, the distribution will stop from next month for those without e-KYC.

Alongside e-KYC enforcement, the State government also has plans to increase the monthly PDS rice quota from 5 kg to 10 kg per person for verified cardholders.