Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has officially announced the extension of its free rice distribution scheme until December 2028. This decision aligns with the Union Cabinet’s recent approval to continue supplying free fortified rice under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) from July 2024 to December 2028.
Food Suppliers Minister Krushna Chandra Patra expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating this development. Alongside the extended PMGKAY scheme, the Odisha government will also maintain its own provision of free fortified rice to the beneficiaries.
Minister Patra further revealed that the E-KYC verification process for ration cards is currently underway in the state. “So far, around 2.30 crore E-KYC verifications have been completed. Approximately one crore verifications are still pending, and we expect to finish this process within the next 15 to 20 days. Once completed, new ration cards will be issued,” he stated.
Previously, Minister Patra had assured that the E-KYC verification process would continue until every last applicant is verified. “After the E-KYC process concludes, we will identify any fraudulent cards and remove them, ensuring that ration cards are distributed only to eligible beneficiaries,” Patra added.