Bhubaneswar: In a significant relief for ration card holders in Odisha, the state government has extended the deadline for completing the e-KYC process by two months.
Announcing the extension, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said that the government is committed to ensuring that no eligible beneficiary is deprived of essential food security benefits.
“So far, 96 per cent of the beneficiaries in the state have completed their e-KYC,” he said, adding that only fo
ur per cent are left now, and the government wants to give them sufficient time to finish the process without any disruption in ration supply.
Notably, the previous deadline, expiring on December 31, 2025, will now continue till the end of February 2026.
Stating that the pending cases are relatively higher in Cuttack and certain coastal districts, the Minister urged all remaining beneficiaries to complete the e-KYC at the earliest through fair price shops or designated centres. “The government’s clear intention is that no genuine ration card holder should face cancellation or lose out on benefits,” he said.
The e-KYC process, linked to Aadhaar authentication, is part of efforts to streamline the Public Distribution System (PDS) and eliminate irregularities. In related developments, the state government has distributed around eight lakh new ration cards to eligible families in recent months.