Punjab Completes e-KYC for 1.27 Crore Beneficiaries, Gears Up for Paddy Procurement Season
Chandigarh, August 5, 2025
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Mansa, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, and Patiala Lead in e-KYC Completion
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E-Tender Issued for 47,500 Tarpaulins
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Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak Reviews Paddy Procurement Preparations
The e-KYC process in Punjab has gained significant momentum, with verification completed for 1.27 crore (1,27,84,000) beneficiaries. The districts of Mansa, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, and Patiala rank as the top three in this initiative.
During a review meeting at Anaj Bhawan, Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak was briefed by senior departmental officers on the progress of the e-KYC process and preparations for the 2025-26 paddy procurement season.
e-KYC Process
The e-KYC is a digital verification method using Aadhaar Card numbers and biometrics to authenticate beneficiaries’ identity and address. Under the Public Distribution System (PDS), wheat is distributed under two categories as per the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013:
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Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): 35 kg of wheat per family per month.
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Priority Households (PHH): 5 kg of wheat per person per month, provided free of cost.
Paddy Procurement Preparations
For the upcoming 2025-26 paddy procurement season, the Minister was informed that PUNGRAIN, the nodal agency for tarpaulin procurement, has floated an e-tender to procure 47,500 LDPE polythene tarpaulins on behalf of all state procurement agencies. Additionally, the department has 95,000 tarpaulins available from the previous year.
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Godown Construction
Minister Kataruchak reviewed the progress of constructing 46 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of covered godowns allocated by the Government of India. He directed the department to:
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Urge bidders to complete the construction of 3.75 LMT of covered godowns, for which Letters of Award have already been issued.
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Finalize formalities for awarding 9.55 LMT capacity godowns at the earliest.
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Complete the tendering process for the remaining 32.70 LMT capacity to ensure maximum storage space for rice during the upcoming season.
Attendees
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Rahul Tiwari, Director Varinder Kumar Sharma, Additional Secretary PUNGRAIN Kamal Kumar Garg, Additional Director Dr. Anjuman Bhaskar, and GM (Finance) Sarvesh Kumar Sharma.
