Bhubaneswar: 10th Oct 2025: The deadline for e-KYC verification for ration cards has ended, and as a result, ration cards of 16 lakh beneficiaries in Odisha have been cancelled. The e-KYC process, which had been ongoing for over a year to verify eligible beneficiaries, concluded on September 30.
According to government data, out of the 3 crore 26 lakh 23 thousand total beneficiaries in the state, 3 crore 10 lakh 23 thousand successfully completed e-KYC. However, the remaining 16 lakh beneficiaries failed to do so, leading to the cancellation of their ration cards, said Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra.
The minister also clarified that the state government will not extend the e-KYC deadline. If the central government decides to extend the deadline, the state may reconsider, he added.
Meanwhile, beneficiaries who failed to complete e-KYC due to various reasons are demanding that the deadline be extended. The e-KYC process began on August 2, 2024, and was meant to ensure that only genuine beneficiaries received ration cards. Those unable to complete e-KYC by the final deadline were excluded from the system.
Despite repeated extensions in the past, 16 lakh people still did not complete the e-KYC. Many of them, reportedly, are migrant workers who had gone to other states for work and couldn’t complete the process in time. Some also faced technical and documentation issues, as reported by the Dealers’ Association.
The association has urged the government to investigate why so many beneficiaries were left out and ensure no eligible person is unfairly excluded.
In the past, there were instances where ineligible people had managed to get ration cards through manipulation. Now, with the BJP government’s strict e-KYC system, many such people are avoiding the process fearing exposure.
The association added that if any truly eligible beneficiary was left out due to genuine difficulties, the government should consider their case sympathetically and take corrective measures.
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