Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has granted a three-month grace period to PDS beneficiaries who have failed to complete the mandatory e-KYC of their ration cards, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said today.

According to the minister, rice provision has been temporarily suspended for over 20.58 lakh beneficiaries across the state due to non-compliance with the e-KYC requirement.

He clarified that ration cards of such individuals will remain temporarily suspended during this grace period. Beneficiaries must complete their e-KYC within the next three months to retain their entitlement to subsidised food grains. Failure to do so will result in permanent deactivation of their ration cards, the minister added.

The state government has urged people to promptly complete the verification process to avoid permanent loss of benefits.