**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 680 raised in Lok Sabha, to be answered on December 3, 2025, regarding Aadhaar-based e-KYC and beneficiary verification under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Punjab. It details the Union Government's actions and communications with the State Government of Punjab and provides data on ration cards, beneficiaries, and e-KYC status. The goal is to ensure eligible poor families in Punjab do not lose access to subsidised foodgrains.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Communications with Punjab Government:**
* The Department of Food and Public Distribution has repeatedly urged the Punjab Government to complete Aadhaar-based e-KYC and beneficiary verification under NFSA.
* Communications included reminders, DO letters, and reviews via video conferences.
* **Ration Card and e-KYC Status in Punjab (as per Central NFSA repository):**
* Total Ration Cards under NFSA: 40,93,003
* Total NFSA Beneficiaries: 1,51,67,073
* Beneficiaries whose e-KYC has not been completed: 20,69,338
* **Rightful Targeting Exercise:**
* Flagged Beneficiaries: 23,79,400
* Deleted Cases (after field verification): 2,90,940
* **Year-wise Number of Ration Cards in Punjab:**
* 2022: 40,67,879
* 2023: 37,87,561
* 2024: 41,76,455
* 2025 (as on date): 40,93,003
* **Corrective Actions and Union Government Support:**
* The department sent communications and held review meetings to advise the State to take corrective action on flagged cases and expedite e-KYC completion.
* The Union Government supports States through monitoring and technological interventions to ensure rightful targeting.
* Key initiatives include Rightful Targeting Dashboard, advisories, correspondences, review meetings, and removal/retention of flagged cases after field verification.
**Impact Analysis**
**Punjab Government**
* **Impact:**
* Punjab Government is responsible for identification of eligible households under AAY and PHH under the NFSA.
* Is subject to increased scrutiny, monitoring and reporting requirements regarding e-KYC completion and beneficiary verification.
* Administrative lapses by the State Government will continue to be monitored.
* **Action Required:**
* Take immediate corrective action on flagged cases reflected in the Rightful Targeting Dashboard.
* Expedite e-KYC completion and verification.
* Verify flagged beneficiaries on the ground, sanitise databases and remove/retain flagged cases under the Rightful Targeting Dashboard post field verification to prevent the deletion of genuine beneficiaries.
**NFSA Beneficiaries in Punjab**
* **Impact:**
* Beneficiaries are potentially impacted by delays, irregularities, or discrepancies detected during verification.
* Rightful beneficiaries are at risk of being incorrectly flagged and deleted.
* **Action Required:**
* Eligible beneficiaries should complete their e-KYC if not already done to avoid disruption of services.
* If flagged incorrectly, genuine beneficiaries need to cooperate with the State Government during field verification.
Key Entities Referenced
National Food Security Act (NFSA): The primary law under which Aadhaar-based e-KYC and beneficiary verification are being conducted.
Aadhaar-based e-KYC: Electronic Know Your Customer process using Aadhaar, aimed at beneficiary verification under the National Food Security Act.
Department of Food and Public Distribution: The Union Government department responsible for overseeing the implementation of NFSA, including Aadhaar-based e-KYC, and communicating with state governments.
Punjab: The specific state to which the question and answer primarily pertain, concerning Aadhaar-based e-KYC and beneficiary verification under NFSA.
Rightful Targeting Dashboard: A tool used by the Union Government to identify beneficiaries for verification and deletion, aiming to improve the accuracy of the NFSA beneficiary list.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 680
TO BE ANSWERED ON 3RD DECEMBER, 2025
AADHAAR BASED E-KYC
680. SHRI AMRINDER SINGH RAJA WARRING:
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be
pleased to state:
(a) whether the Union Government has issued repeated reminders and deadlines to the State
Government of Punjab to complete Aadhaar-based e-KYC and beneficiary verification under the
National Food Security Act (NFSA) and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the total number of ration cards in Punjab that have been placed under “verification
pending”, “KYC pending” or “proposed for deletion” categories as a result of the Punjab
Government’s administrative lapses;
(c) the total number of eligible ration cardholders in Punjab in the last three years from 2022
onwards, year-wise;
(d) whether the Union Government has sought explanations from the Punjab Government
regarding delays, irregularities or discrepancies detected during verification; and
(e) the details of the steps taken by the Government to ensure that eligible poor families in
Punjab do not lose access to subsidised foodgrains?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS.
FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)
(a): The Department of Food and Public Distribution has issued multiple communications to all
State Governments, including the Government of Punjab, urging the timely completion ofAadhaar-
based e-KYC and beneficiary verification under NFS A. These include repeated reminders, DO
letters, and reviews through video conferences.
(b): As per the Central NFS A repository, the position of ration cards and e-KYC status in
Punjab is as under:
• Total Ration Cards under NFSA: 40,93,003
• Total NFSA Beneficiaries: 1,51,67,073
• Beneficiaries whose e-KYC has not been completed: 20,69,338Further, under the Rightful Targeting exercise, the following figures were reported to
. Punjab regarding flagged beneficiaries and subsequent deletions by the State after field
verification and due process:
Flagged Cases IDeleted Cases
}i:m4
,90,940
(c): The year-wise number of ration cards in Punjab, as per the central NFS A data repository,
is as under:
ear ITotal Ration Cards
m4
022
2023 7,87,561
m4
024
no
025 (as on date)
(d): Various communications by this department were sent to States, followed by several
review meetings via video conference, advising the State to take immediate corrective action on
the large number of flagged cases reflected in the Rightful Targeting Dashboard and to expedite e-
KYC completion.
(e): While identification of eligible households under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and
Priority Households (PHH) is the statutory responsibility of the State Governments under the
NFSA, the Union Government supports States through regular monitoring and technological
interventions to ensure rightful targeting.
Key initiatives include:
• Development and provision of the Rightful Targeting Dashboard, which analytically
highlights flagged beneficiaries to enable States to verify these cases on the ground and
sanitise their databases
• Regular advisories, correspondences, and review meetings with the Government of Pun-jab
to ensure timely e-KYC completion and verification.
• Removal/retention of flagged cases under the Rightful Targeting Dashboard post field
verification by the State Government, so that genuine beneficiaries are not deleted
Se SeqeRScSc