TAWANG, 17 Jul: Expressing concern over the pending eKYC cases in the district, Tawang Deputy Commissioner Namgyal Angmo directed all fair price shop (FPS) dealers to ensure substantial improvement in eKYC completion within one week.
Chairing a review meeting on the status of eKYC under the smart public distribution system (smart PDS) along with a vigilance meeting of all 39 FPSs of the district here on Friday, the DC instructed the FPS dealers to undertake door-to-door follow-up wherever necessary and extend all possible assistance to beneficiaries in completing the authentication process.
The meeting was attended by the District Food & Civil Supplies Officer, officials of the Food & Civil Supplies Department, and all FPS dealers.
During the meeting, SIFCS Sange Tsering presented a detailed review of the district’s eKYC progress, highlighting the achievements made so far, the remaining gap in beneficiary authentication, and the areas requiring immediate attention to achieve complete coverage.
The deputy commissioner directed the SIFCS to compile and submit a detailed status report after the one-week review period, so that necessary action could be initiated through the smart PDS system based on the progress achieved.
The meeting also discussed several operational challenges affecting the implementation of smart PDS. The SIFCS highlighted issues relating to data migration errors, difficulties in beneficiary verification, and certain technical limitations within the smart PDS platform that require timely resolution.
The FPS dealers shared various ground-level challenges faced during the eKYC drive, including connectivity issues, authentication failures, and difficulties in reaching certain beneficiaries. The DC assured that all genuine concerns would be examined and addressed in coordination with the authorities concerned.
Apart from the eKYC review, the meeting deliberated on strengthening vigilance at the FPS level to ensure transparency and accountability in the PDS.
The deputy commissioner also emphasised the importance of timely submission of FPS margin bills by all dealers, effective functioning of the district grievance redressal mechanism. The matter of shortage of data entry operators, which has been affecting the implementation of the smart PDS, was also discussed.
The deputy commissioner reiterated that successful completion of eKYC is essential to ensure that food grains and other benefits under the PDS reach only genuine beneficiaries in a transparent and efficient manner. She called upon all stakeholders to work with dedication and urgency to strengthen the district’s food security delivery mechanism and ensure effective implementation of the smart PDS.(DIPRO)
