Aadhaar hurdles hit Ration e-KYC

Metro India News | KAMAREDDY 

Thousands of ration beneficiaries in Kamareddy district are rushing to fair price shops and Aadhaar enrolment centres as the deadline for completing mandatory ration e-KYC approaches. The State Civil Supplies Department has directed all beneficiaries to complete ration e-KYC by the end of July, with officials indicating that only those who complete the process may be eligible to receive ration supplies from August.

However, many ration beneficiaries are unable to complete the process because their Aadhaar cards have not been updated. In several cases, Aadhaar records issued more than 10 years ago require biometric or demographic updates before authentication can be completed, forcing beneficiaries to visit Aadhaar centres before returning to fair price shops for ration e-KYC.

The problem has been compounded by the limited number of Aadhaar update centres in Kamareddy district. Ration beneficiaries from several villages are travelling to other mandals to update their Aadhaar details, resulting in long queues and delays. According to Aadhaar centre operators, biometric updates such as fingerprint authentication are usually reflected within 24 hours, though the process may occasionally take up to a week. Families are particularly worried that if Aadhaar updates are not completed in time, eligible members may not be able to complete ration e-KYC, affecting their access to subsidised ration supplies.

The situation has also created difficulties for students staying in towns and hostels for higher education. Since every member listed on a food security card must undergo ration e-KYC individually at fair price shops, parents are asking their children to return home before the deadline to complete the process. With no official announcement on extending the deadline, anxiety among ration beneficiaries continues to grow as they race to complete Aadhaar updates and ration e-KYC before the cut-off date to ensure uninterrupted ration supplies from August.