Gajapati, July 21 (UDN): A resident of Odisha’s Gajapati district has alleged that an error in his Aadhaar records wrongly declared him deceased, resulting in the suspension of his Public Distribution System (PDS) benefits and denial of subsidised ration.
The incident came to light in Ranalai village under Mahendragada Gram Panchayat in R. Udayagiri block, where Jikhariya Pal claimed he was unable to collect his monthly ration after his Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication failed.
According to Pal, he visited the local panchayat to receive his allotted rice under the PDS scheme, but officials informed him that his Aadhaar card had become inactive. On verifying the details online, he was shocked to discover that the records listed him as deceased.
“I went to collect my ration, but my fingerprint could not be authenticated. Later, I found that I had been declared dead in the Aadhaar database, even though I am very much alive,” Pal alleged.
The alleged error not only rendered his Aadhaar inactive but also prevented him from accessing essential welfare benefits linked to the identity document.
Seeking immediate redress, Pal approached the Gajapati District Collector during the district grievance hearing and submitted a formal complaint, requesting the administration to restore his Aadhaar status and ensure that his ration benefits are reinstated without delay.
Responding to the complaint, District Collector Akshay Sunil Agrawal assured that the matter would be investigated. He said the administration has directed the Block Supply Officer to verify the records and ascertain how the discrepancy occurred.
Preliminary findings suggest that the error may have resulted from a mix-up during the updating of family records, with officials indicating that another family member may have been intended to be marked in the records. The Collector said that if the mistake is confirmed, necessary corrections will be made at the earliest.
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by beneficiaries when inaccuracies in digital identity records affect access to government welfare schemes, underscoring the need for timely verification and prompt rectification of such errors.