If your family's ration card still has pending e-KYC, here is what has been decided, what is being contested, and what has not been said.
What was ordered
At a review on 5 November, Commissioner Secretary of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department Sourabh Bhagat directed officials to speed up e-KYC for pending beneficiaries, and ordered the Face Authentication Application to be introduced from the current month's ration distribution cycle, Northlines reported on 7 November.
What fair price shop dealers say
Dealers point to a Rs 1 lakh security deposit, a proposed Rs 2,000 licence fee, advance payment demanded before equipment is procured, and having to arrange mobile phones. They want fingerprint and OTP kept alongside face recognition, citing elderly and ailing beneficiaries. One dealer is quoted as saying: "If this system is implemented, it will create many problems."
What an official says
An unnamed senior official told Northlines: "Everything is transparent these days and there is no need for any sort of panic." He said the new machines will offer every option, including OTP and face recognition.
What is not known
- No e-KYC deadline has been reported for Jammu division. For Kashmir division, the Kashmir Horizon reported that the Commissioner Secretary asked for 100 per cent e-KYC by the end of November at a review in Srinagar.
- The legal basis for the dealer charges, and the official's name, were not given.
Practical step: ask your fair price shop whether your family's e-KYC is complete, and keep Aadhaar details handy; elderly relatives may be best served by the OTP or fingerprint route, which the official says will remain.
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