Odisha removes 6.95 lakh 'Ghost' ration cards under ongoing e-KYC verification drive
New Delhi, December 12
The Odisha government has intensified efforts to weed out ineligible beneficiaries from the Public Distribution System (PDS) through a state-wide e-KYC verification drive.
Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said that the initiative was launched after the BJP came to power 17 months ago, aiming to ensure transparency in ration distribution.
Under the exercise, over 6.95 lakh ghost ration cards, belonging to deceased beneficiaries, have been identified and cancelled.
The national mandate of e-KYC verification, which began in August 2024, has been extended several times due to challenges such as poor internet connectivity in remote regions.
Odisha has a total of 3.28 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and over 6.48 lakh under the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS).
Minister Krushna Chandra Patra informed that the deadline for completing the verification in Odisha has now been extended to December 31.
Speaking to the ANI, Patra said, "By doing e-KYC, trade persons who were given rice were stopped. Approx. 6.95 lakh 'dead' cases were detected and deleted. In place of the 'dead' case, new people were assigned in the PDS system." "There are still 14 lakh people who haven't completed their e-KYC yet. I urge them to complete it as soon as possible," said Patra.
Meanwhile, the Opposition MPs are set to continue their protest against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll as the Parliament gears up for the second day of the Winter Session.
The INDIA bloc MPs will protest outside the Makar Dwar of the Parliament at 10:30 am ahead of the Parliament proceedings today.Even on the first day of the Winter Session, the Lok Sabha witnessed several adjournments till noon, 2 pm, and later for the day, as opposition members insisted on discussing the SIR exercise ongoing in 12 States and Union Territories.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, "The INDIA Alliance decided yesterday morning that we will stress for the discussion on SIR and the election electoral reform-related things. Today, at 10:30 am, we are having a demonstration in front of the Makar Dwar demanding the same thing. All the MPs are going to protest outside the parliament."
Further, Tagore said that the Opposition wants a debate on the issue as the subject deals with the right to vote of the citizens.
"I had given agenda motions also, and we hope that they are accepted. We want a debate on that subject. The government should not run away from this important issue because the right to vote is at stake. In Bihar, 62 lakh voters have been removed. Now it has been rolled out in 12 states. A lot of BLOs are committing suicide. We wanted to protect the democracy of India. And for that, we need a debate in the Parliament," the Congress MP said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good move, but what about the 14 lakh people who haven't done e-KYC? The deadline is Dec 31. In remote areas, internet is a big issue. The government should set up more camps with help desks, not just extend deadlines.
6.95 lakh ghost cards! That's a huge number. Just imagine the amount of grain that was being siphoned off. This e-KYC drive is essential for transparency. Kudos to the team on the ground making it happen.
Interesting to see the parallel with the voter roll revision protests mentioned. Both processes—cleaning ration lists and voter lists—are crucial for system integrity, but must be done carefully to not exclude genuine beneficiaries/voters.
My mausi in a village in Odisha had a lot of trouble with the e-KYC. The app kept crashing. The intention is good, but the execution needs to be smoother for elderly and less tech-savvy people. Hope they fix the glitches.
Finally, some action against the "trade persons" the minister mentioned. These middlemen have been exploiting the system for decades. This saved taxpayer money and ensured food security for the poor. A win for good governance.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.