M’laya govt exerts itself as Centre’s deadline nears for Aadhaar seeding

SHILLONG, April 4: With the deadline fast approaching, the state government has launched a mission-mode project to achieve 100 per cent Aadhaar seeding for Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Comingone Ymbon informed that only 49.61 per cent of beneficiaries in the state have linked their Aadhaar so far.
It may be mentioned that the Centre has set a deadline of June 30 for Meghalaya to complete the process. Failure to meet this target could lead to a reduction in the state’s rice allocation by the Union Government, Ymbon warned.
Meghalaya has a total of 21,45,096 NFSA beneficiaries, but only 10,64,000 have completed Aadhaar seeding.
The state receives an allocation of 1,17,277.1 quintals of rice, which is distributed through 4,743 Fair Price Shops (FPS). However, districts such as Nongstoin, Mairang and Shillong have reported low participation in the seeding process.
Responding to concerns about chaos at Fair Price Shops during the Aadhaar seeding exercise, the minister advised that beneficiaries could complete the process at their respective district and block offices.
The state government has also engaged with the Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong (association of village heads), who have proposed a cluster-wise approach to expedite the process.
When asked if superstitious beliefs were hindering participation, Ymbon stated that the government is working to involve church leaders to address such concerns.