Bhubaneswar, 3 December (H.S.) : The Odisha government has extended the deadline for completing the ongoing e-KYC verification process for ration cardholders to December 31, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra informed the State Assembly in a written reply on Wednesday.

The extension aims to provide additional time to eligible beneficiaries who have not yet completed the mandatory verification. The Minister noted that the exercise has uncovered major irregularities within the Public Distribution System (PDS).

During the verification drive, authorities identified 6,83,995 deceased individuals who were still listed as active PDS beneficiaries—a revelation that underscores the extent of misuse and fraudulent claims in the system.

Further, the government has cancelled 33,128 ineligible ration cards detected during the process. Khordha district reported the highest number of fake cards, with 4,747 cases identified.

Since the launch of the cleanup initiative in June last year, the department has received 15,33,153 new applications for ration cards, indicating increased public awareness and rising demand.

Officials emphasised that the e-KYC verification is critical to enhancing transparency, preventing leakages, and ensuring that subsidised food grains reach only genuine beneficiaries. The department has urged ration cardholders to complete e-KYC within the extended deadline to avoid suspension of benefits.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda