Bhubaneswar, July 22: In a move to eliminate fake farmers from the paddy procurement process, the Odisha government has announced that all farmers must undergo mandatory e-KYC verification during registration for the current Kharif paddy procurement season.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra stated that the e-KYC process will include fingerprint and iris scans and must be completed at the respective procurement societies. This step aims to identify and remove individuals falsely claiming to be farmers who have been selling paddy.
The Minister appealed to genuine farmers to visit their societies and complete the e-KYC process at the time of registration.
To address previous registration challenges, the government has simplified the rules. Farmers can now register even if the land is officially in the name of their father or grandfather, provided they are cultivating the land. In cases where one brother cultivates the entire family land, written consent from the other brothers will be required during registration, the Minister added.
