Wed Oct 15 00:26:00 UTC 2025: ## Summary:
The Odisha government in India will halt subsidized rice distribution to beneficiaries under the National and State Food Security Acts who haven’t completed their electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification. Despite multiple deadlines, approximately 1.57 million beneficiaries remain unverified. The government cites the need to eliminate ineligible beneficiaries and has already removed deceased individuals and those meeting exclusion criteria. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis with written representation. Right to Food activists criticize the government for shifting the verification responsibility to the beneficiaries and lacking a robust grievance redressal mechanism.
## News Article:
**Odisha to Suspend Subsidized Rice for Unverified Beneficiaries**
**BHUBANESWAR, October 15, 2025** – The Odisha government announced yesterday that it will discontinue subsidized rice distribution to beneficiaries who have not completed their electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification under the National Food Security Act and State Food Security Act, effective next month.
According to Krushna Chandra Patra, of the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department, all deadlines for eKYC verification have passed. Approximately 1.57 million beneficiaries have yet to complete the process. Patra stated that the government may reconsider if the central government extends the deadline.
The move comes as the state aims to eliminate ineligible beneficiaries and streamline its food distribution program. The government claims to have already removed over 600,000 deceased individuals and tens of thousands meeting other exclusion criteria, replacing them with eligible applicants.
While exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis, based on written representations, the decision has sparked controversy. Right to Food activists argue that the government has unfairly shifted the responsibility of verification to the beneficiaries.
“It is the government’s responsibility to identify beneficiaries whose eKYC has not been verified,” said Samit Panda, a Right to Food activist. “The government should have ensured that all beneficiaries completed the verification process.”
Panda further criticized the existing grievance redressal mechanism as inadequate, leaving beneficiaries with limited recourse to confirm their verification status. The issue is expected to fuel further debate about ensuring access to essential food resources for vulnerable populations.
The Odisha government currently provides free food grains to over 9 million families, totaling over 32.5 million people, under various food security schemes. The decision to suspend distribution to unverified beneficiaries raises concerns about potential food insecurity for a significant portion of the population.
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