Minister Sumit Godara: E-KYC of more than 88 percent people related to food safety has been completed.
Minister Sumit Godara said that 9 lakh applications pending for food security for the past years are being expeditiously disposed of so that eligible persons can get food security. Random checking of approved applications will be done to maintain transparency in the process. He also informed that in future, special appeal powers will be given to the District Collector so that families deprived of food security can be linked to NFSA.
Applying through the portal for food security has now become easy -Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara informed that the portal launched by the Chief Minister has made the process of linking with the Food Security Act more transparent and smooth. The application on the portal can be done in person or through e-Mitra. A three-tier scrutiny will be done to maintain transparency in the application approval process. The application received will go online to the concerned appellate authority for disposal. The Appellate Authority shall forward the application for examination to the Administrative Officer / Commissioner of Urban Bodies in urban areas or to the Block Development Officer in rural areas.
On the basis of the inquiry report received from the committee constituted by the said officers, the matter will be re-directed to the Appellate Authority with a clear decision regarding the addition of names. After this, a decision will be taken to add or not add names to the National Food Security Scheme and the application will be disposed of. He informed that the department is continuously receiving applications through the portal, and they are being disposed of within a month under the new guidelines. Apart from this, a fee of Rs 50 is being charged for applying on e-Mitra. If anyone asks for more than this amount or there is any complaint of corruption related to the department, then the general public can complain on the helpline number 1800-180-6030.
More than 88% of e-KYC has been completed Minister Sumit Godara said that under the directions of Chief Minister Shri Bhajan Lal Sharma ji, the process of e-KYC is being completed effectively to ensure food security to maximum people. He informed that till 28th January, e-KYC of more than 88% of people related to food security has been completed. Keeping in view the sensitivity, the state government has exempted people aged 70 years and above from e-KYC. Also, children under the age of 10 are excluded from this procedure.
8.38 lakh ineligible people voluntarily give up food security under Give Up campaignMinister Sumit Godara informed that so far more than 8.38 lakh persons have voluntarily removed their names from the food security list under the give up campaign of the state government. He said the campaign would continue till February 28. Voluntary deletion of names of people above the poverty line will provide an opportunity to the state government to provide food security to more deserving people. He appealed to the eligible people included in the food security list to participate in the give up campaign and get their names removed. If they do not do so, necessary action will be taken by identifying ineligible families. To avoid recovery or other punitive action, ineligible persons should have their names removed from the food security list.
The following categories of families ineligible for food security – As per the instructions issued by the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, such families shall be considered ineligible under the Food Security Scheme, any of whose members is an income tax payer, any of whose members is a regular employee in government / semi-government / autonomous institutions, or is in receipt of pension in excess of one lakh rupees per annum, and any of whose members owns a four-wheeler (excluding tractor and a commercial vehicle). Further, if all the members of a family have agricultural land more than the prescribed limit for small farmers, they will also be ineligible.
Apart from this, families whose total income is more than one lakh rupees per annum, who have a pucca house with an area of more than 2000 square feet in rural areas, a pucca residential / commercial complex with an area of more than 1000 square feet in municipal corporation / municipal council areas (excluding kutchi habitation) or a pucca residential / commercial complex with an area of more than 1500 square feet in municipal areas (excluding kutchi habitation) will also be considered ineligible under the Food Security Act.