February 19th 2025.
In Bhubaneswar, the state government has taken a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the public distribution system. According to a recent announcement made by Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, 3,90,814 individuals who were either deceased or not eligible have been removed from the ration card database during the ongoing e-KYC verification process. This move comes as part of the government's efforts to streamline the distribution of essential food items to the people in need.
In response to a question posed by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Minister Patra revealed that 3,28,932 names of deceased individuals have been deleted from the ration card database during the e-KYC process. Additionally, 61,882 ineligible beneficiaries from 16,184 ration cards have also been identified and removed from the database after thorough field verification. As per the data provided by the minister, the majority of ineligible beneficiaries were found in Nayagarh district, followed by Cuttack, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Khurda, and Puri.
In another statement, Minister Patra stated that out of the total 3.31 crore beneficiaries, 2.99 crore have successfully completed the e-KYC process, while the remaining 32,82,491 are yet to do so. He also mentioned that the government is taking necessary steps to make e-KYC mandatory for new ration cards and will also cross-check new applicants with other exclusion criteria. When asked by Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, the minister assured that the e-KYC verification for the remaining beneficiaries is expected to be completed by March.
However, Minister Patra clarified that the existing beneficiaries in the database, regardless of their e-KYC verification status, will continue to receive their ration. He assured that no one will be deprived of their foodgrain quota due to the unavailability of e-KYC. Meanwhile, the opposition parties BJD and Congress have raised concerns about the deletion of ration cards belonging to poor and small traders.
BJD legislator Goutam Buddha Das expressed his views on the matter, stating that the deletion of deceased beneficiaries and inclusion of new ones is an ongoing process. However, he raised concerns about the government causing inconvenience to people in the name of e-KYC verification. He also urged the government to ensure that eligible individuals are not removed from the PDS.
Echoing similar sentiments, Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati appreciated the government's move to remove the names of deceased beneficiaries. However, he raised concerns about the removal of small-time traders and shopkeepers who file zero income tax returns to avail bank loans. He also urged the government to conduct inquiries to determine who was taking the rice allotted to deceased beneficiaries over the past 24 years of BJD rule.
Addressing the issue of ineligible beneficiaries, Minister Patra informed the reporters that notices have been issued to income taxpayers who were availing free rice. After thorough physical verification, those who are found to be ineligible will be removed from the ration card list. This step has been taken to eliminate corruption and ensure that the benefits of the public distribution system reach those who truly need it.
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