Bomdila, Aug 19 : A review meeting on the urgent completion of e-KYC under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, covering all Fair Price Shops (FPSs) of West Kameng and Bichom districts, was held under the Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner, West Kameng, Dr. Dilip Kumar. 
Chairing the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner stressed the importance of the e-KYC exercise and called upon all stakeholders to intensify efforts to improve the district’s overall performance. It was informed that the district had achieved 56 percent e-KYC coverage as of August 19, this year as reflected on the ePOS portal.
The District Food & Civil Supplies Officer (DF&CSO), West Kameng, briefed the gathering on the significance of the e-KYC drive and presented the circle-wise progress achieved so far. FPS owners from various parts of the district also introduced themselves and shared updates from their respective areas.
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 Deputy Commissioner emphasized the importance of Aadhaar in availing various government welfare schemes and assured that targeted Aadhaar enrolment and integration drives 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. To address the problem, the Deputy Commissioner directed FPS owners to keep handwash and water available at FPS outlets to improve the chances of successful fingerprint authentication.
The meeting also discussed discrepancies between data reflected in ePOS machines and the SmartPDS portal. Officials informed that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) is already 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, they informed, 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.
The Deputy Commissioner directed all FPS owners to intensify awareness efforts and inform ration card holders about the importance of completing e-KYC at the earliest. He stated that necessary action may be initiated in respect of beneficiaries who fail to complete the mandatory process within the stipulated period.
To encourage timely completion of the exercise, the Deputy Commissioner announced that a certificate of appreciation would be awarded on Republic Day, 2027, to the first FPS owner achieving 100 percent e-KYC. 
The meeting concluded with a commitment from officials and FPS owners to expedite the e-KYC process and ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are covered under the provisions of NFSA (DIPRO)

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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