Ludhiana: Pay us for KYC drill, say ration depot holders

District food supplies controller Sartaaj Singh Cheema said, “The electricity consumption of ePoS machines and biometric equipment is minimal. Depot holders should conduct verification during ration distribution to avoid any extra hassle.”

Ludhiana, 22 March, 2025: Ration depot holders in the city are demanding financial compensation for conducting know your customer (KYC) process for ration beneficiaries. Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution had issued a notification on March 17, 2023, directing a door-to-door eKYC campaign for verification. The deadline for 100% eKYC verification has been set at March 31. As per the depot holders, their existing commission of ₹ 90 per quintal is insufficient to cover operational costs, including electricity expenses incurred while using biometric and ePoS (electronic Point of Sale) machines for verification.

Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution had issued a notification on March 17, 2023, directing a door-to-door eKYC campaign for verification (HT Photo)

Roshan Lal, state president of the NFSA depot holders welfare association, emphasised the need for financial support, by stating, “We are not government employees, yet we are being assigned additional tasks without any remuneration. Conducting eKYC requires electricity, which is charged at commercial rates. The government must compensate us for this extra burden.”

Karamjit Singh Arechha, national assistant secretary and state president, All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation, added, “The state government pays us a meager ₹90 per quintal, despite the central government has set a standard wage of ₹143 per quintal. We are contributing our time and labour to this campaign. Hence, we will be holding a nationwide meeting in New Delhi on March 28 to press for our demands.”

As part of the campaign, special provisions have been introduced to assist elderly individuals, persons with disabilities, and those facing authentication challenges. Under this campaign, depot holders will assist state food and civil supplies (FCS) officials and designated field officers in the verification process, using mobile ePoS devices.

Ration depot holders say that this initiative adds to their responsibilities without any economic support.

Charanjit Singh, a ration depot holder, stated, “The government wants us to ensure 100% eKYC, but instead of providing resources, they are shifting the entire burden onto us. The door-to-door campaign is impractical for depot holders, as we are already struggling with low commissions and high operational costs.”

District food supplies controller Sartaaj Singh Cheema said, “The electricity consumption of ePoS machines and biometric equipment is minimal. Depot holders should conduct verification during ration distribution to avoid any extra hassle.”