Bhubaneswar, July 15: In a major relief to Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries, the Odisha government on Tuesday announced a three-month grace period for completing the mandatory e-KYC process linked to ration cards. The decision was announced by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra during a media briefing.

Minister Patra revealed that rice distribution has been temporarily halted for more than 20.58 lakh beneficiaries across the state due to non-completion of the e-KYC requirement. However, he clarified that their ration cards have not been cancelled, but only suspended temporarily.

“All affected beneficiaries must complete the e-KYC verification within the next three months to restore their entitlement to subsidised food grains,” Patra said. He further cautioned that failure to do so within the grace period will result in the permanent deactivation of the ration cards.

The state government has urged all beneficiaries to update their information either through designated government centres or online platforms at the earliest.

This move is part of Odisha’s broader initiative to digitise the PDS system, eliminate ineligible beneficiaries, and ensure transparent and efficient distribution of food grains to genuine recipients.

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