BOMDILA, 19 Aug: West Kameng deputy commissioner Dr. Dilip Kumar asked all ration card holders to complete e-KYC under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, saying that necessary action may be initiated against those who fail to complete the mandatory process within the stipulated period.
Chairing a meeting of all Fair Price Shops (FPSs) of West Kameng and Bichom districts here on Wednesday, the DC emphasized the urgent need to complete e-KYC under NFSA, as the district has achieved only 56 percent e-KYC coverage as of 19 August. He asked all FPS owners to inform ration card holders about the importance of completing e-KYC at the earliest.
To encourage timely completion of the exercise, the DC announced that a certificate of appreciation would be awarded on Republic Day, 2027, to the first FPS owner achieving 100 percent e-KYC.
During the interaction session, FPS owners highlighted several challenges being faced in completing e-KYC of beneficiaries. A major concern raised was the non-possession of Aadhaar cards by a section of villagers, particularly elderly beneficiaries.
It was informed that many elderly persons consider Aadhaar unnecessary, while some are unable to obtain it due to physical limitations.
Responding to the issue, the DC assured that a targeted Aadhaar enrolment and integration drive would be undertaken. He also urged FPS owners to sensitize villagers and encourage them to obtain Aadhaar cards.
Another issue highlighted was the difficulty in capturing fingerprints of beneficiaries engaged in agricultural activities.
"Since many villagers have rough and scarred fingers due to regular field work, biometric authentication often fails," the FPS owners said.
To address the problem, Dr. Kumar directed FPS owners to keep hand wash and water available at their outlets to improve the chances of successful fingerprint authentication.
The participants also discussed discrepancies between data reflected in ePOS machines and the SmartPDS portal with officials informing that the National Informatics Centre is working to resolve the technical issues.
FPS owners further raised concerns regarding the non-allocation of food grains against revised feeding strengths reflected in the SmartPDS portal. The issue has affected the issuance of BPL ration cards and led to a lack of awareness among newly approved beneficiary families who are yet to receive ration cards, they said.
Earlier, the district food & civil supplies officer briefed the gathering on the significance of the e-KYC drive and presented the circle-wise progress achieved so far. (DIPRO)
