Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has decided to exclude ineligible beneficiaries from the list of ration card beneficiaries under the Food Security Act.

Informing about it, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said the government has outlined 12 criteria for including eligible families and 10 for excluding ineligible ones.

Officials have been directed to remove any ineligible beneficiaries from the list to ensure that only deserving families receive the ration cards.

Eligible families in Odisha who have applied for new ration cards can expect to receive them within a month. A total of 6,19,836 families have applied for the new ration cards so far, the minister said.

"To ensure the accuracy and transparency of the distribution, e-KYC audits will be conducted to verify the details provided by the applicants. We are using e-KYC audits to confirm eligible beneficiaries. Additionally, our officers will carry out door-to-door surveys," the minister added.