Bhubaneswar: Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Wednesday told the Assembly that distribution of new ration cards in the state will commence in September.
Patra further said that the process to verify e-KYC process for sanctioning new ration cards is underway across the state. “So far, over nine lakh people have applied for new ration cards. The issuance process is expected to be completed by September,” said Patra.
The minister had said in July that the government would exclude all ineligible beneficiaries from the list of ration card beneficiaries under the Food Security Act. The government has underlined 12 criteria for inclusion of eligible families in the schemes under the Food Security Act and 10 for excluding ineligible ones.
All officials of the department have been directed to remove any ineligible beneficiaries from the list to ensure that only deserving families get the ration cards. “To ensure the accuracy and transparency of the public distribution system, e-KYC audits will be conducted to verify the details provided by the applicants. We are using e-KYC audits to confirm eligible beneficiaries. In addition, our officers will carry out door-to-door surveys,” the minister had said.
