Mangaluru: The official deadline for completing e-KYC verification for Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya ration cardholders has passed. However, contrary to previous warnings, food grain distribution will continue for now, pending further government instructions.
In Dakshina Kannada, 17,778 cardholders have yet to complete the e-KYC process. In Udupi, 3,301 individuals remain pending. The districts have a combined total of over 4.5 lakh BPL and Antyodaya beneficiaries. Additionally, 673 ration cards have been flagged as ineligible by officials.
To help residents, free e-KYC services are available at fair price shops, as well as Karnataka One and Grama One centres.
Bantwal taluk tops the list with the highest number of incomplete verifications at 4,552, while Byndoor taluk follows with 2,242. In contrast, Sullia and Kundapur show near-complete compliance, with just 78 and 28 pending cases respectively. Many of the delays are due to cardholders being temporarily outside the region for work or personal reasons.
Over 10,000 people, including bedridden individuals and those facing biometric difficulties, have requested exemptions. The department has issued special letters allowing them to complete verification in phases.
Officials stress that e-KYC is valid only if all family members on the ration card are verified. In cases where members have passed away, their names must be officially removed for the process to be valid.
For those unable to provide fingerprints, iris scan verification is offered. Authorities confirm that all services remain completely free of cost.