Development economist Dipa Sinha and transparency activist Anjali Bharadwaj, associated with the Right to Food campaign, highlight the challenges faced by 81 crore ration cardholders due to the government’s mandatory E-KYC verification process.
People — migrant and unorganised sector workers, in particular — are rushing to villages, spending thousands of rupees, due to unclear communication and threats of ration card cancellation.
The campaign demands an immediate halt to the E-KYC process, citing concerns over marginalised sections being left out.
They also demand issuance of ration cards to those excluded from the National Food Security Act (NFSA) due to the government’s failure to conduct the 2021 census. The campaign criticises the government’s priorities, citing budget cuts and a lack of focus on ensuring the right to adequate and nutritious food.
“The total coverage of NFSA still being determined by census 2011 leading to exclusion of crores of people. If the government’s own population projections are used then as of the 2024 figures, 13 crore additional people should have also been provided ration cards under the NFSA,” Sinha said.
She added, “Instead of addressing this large gap, including through increased budgetary allocation, we find the current budget has slashed the food security budget by Rs 5,000.”