Kerala urges Centre to extend ration card e-KYC deadline, halt cancellation of unused cards

Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob has urged the Centre to extend the three-month deadline for completing e-KYC for ration cards and defer the implementation of new rules that allow the temporary cancellation of cards unused for six consecutive months.

In a letter to Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Jacob sought flexibility in implementing the 2025 amendment to the Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order. The amendment provides for the temporary cancellation and subsequent verification of ration cards that have not been used to purchase ration supplies for six months.

According to a statement issued by his office on Friday, Jacob also requested permission for the state to maintain a waiting list of eligible families on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis to fill vacancies arising from the cancellation of ration cards.

He proposed that cards identified for removal be temporarily shifted to, or retained under, the state's tide-over or non-priority category until field verification and eligibility reassessment are completed.

Jacob argued that beneficiaries should not lose their entitlements under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) merely because they had not used their ration cards for a specified period.

Foodgrains could instead be provided under the state category whenever required, subject to Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, he said. Eligibility could then be reassessed through e-KYC and field verification within a stipulated period, with NFSA status restored if the beneficiary was found eligible.

Such a system would help identify and remove ineligible families while preventing genuine beneficiaries from being excluded inadvertently, the minister said.

Over 44,000 priority cardholders could be affected

Jacob said the first phase of the exercise would affect 44,279 priority ration cardholders in Keralam who had not purchased ration supplies for more than six months.

The group includes 5,370 yellow-card holders and 38,909 pink-card holders.

Their failure to collect ration supplies for six months did not automatically establish that they were ineligible for the benefits, the minister said. He added that the reasons behind their inactivity required detailed examination, which would take time.

Removing the cards immediately, without examining the circumstances, could therefore be unjust, he said in the letter.

Jacob also highlighted that around 5,62,494 non-priority ration cardholders in the state had not purchased ration supplies for more than six months.

These families continued to benefit from the state's tide-over arrangements, under which they could obtain foodgrains when needed through biometric authentication.

Minister flags risks during emergencies

The minister said retaining ration cards would help families access foodgrains during emergencies, including epidemics and natural disasters, when losing access to the public distribution system could cause hardship.

He cited the COVID-19 lockdown as an example, noting that even affluent families had been able to obtain foodgrains through fair-price shops during the crisis.

Jacob urged the Centre to allow NFSA, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) ration cards to be temporarily shifted to, or retained under, the state's tide-over or non-priority category until field verification and eligibility reassessment were completed.

He said the proposed flexibility would protect genuine beneficiaries while allowing the state to verify eligibility and ensure that food security benefits reached those entitled to them.

PTI