Ludhiana: e-KYC of 3.6 lakh food security beneficiaries pending
According to official data, Ludhiana has the largest number of beneficiaries in the state, with around 18,09,609; of these, 3,60,526 beneficiaries or nearly 20%, are yet to be verified through e-KYC
Despite the central government extending the deadline for Aadhaar seeding and e-KYC (know your customer) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to June 30, Ludhiana district still faces a staggering backlog, with around 3,60,526 beneficiaries yet to complete Aadhaar-based verification through e-KYC.
According to official data, Ludhiana has the largest number of beneficiaries in the state, with around 18,09,609. Of these, 3,60,526 beneficiaries or nearly 20%, are yet to be verified through e-KYC.
The situation is particularly pressing with the quarterly ration distribution scheduled for May, raising concerns about disruptions in access to subsidised food grains. The directive comes as a follow-up to the notification issued on March 21 which mandates all individual beneficiaries to furnish their Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication to avail of subsidised food grains under the NFSA. The rule aims to ensure transparency, eliminate duplicate or fake beneficiaries and plug leakages in the public distribution system.
Initially, the deadline for Aadhaar seeding was extended multiple times, with the most recent cut-off being March 31. However, during the food secretaries’ conference on February 28, the department stressed the need for strict compliance and urged states to complete both Aadhaar seeding and e-KYC by March-end. Despite these directives, the large-scale pendency has forced the Centre to allow one final extension till June 30.
District food supplies controller Sartaj Singh Cheema said efforts were underway to verify pending cases through various initiatives. “We have achieved 81% e-KYC coverage, which is better than the state’s average of 78.43%. During the upcoming ration distribution, we will focus on identifying and covering the remaining beneficiaries more effectively,” he said.
When asked whether wheat will be given to unverified beneficiaries, Cheema clarified, “We haven’t received any official notification from the department yet. For now, ration will be provided to all existing beneficiaries in the upcoming distribution.”
