Enrol by June to be eligible for benefits under the NFSA, says Food & Civil Supplies minister
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 7: In a stern message amid growing concerns over Meghalaya’s abysmal Aadhaar seeding numbers under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Food and Civil Supplies Minister Comingone Ymbon on Wednesday said individuals spreading misinformation about the process should be held accountable if beneficiaries are cut off from their entitlements after the June deadline.
“As of now, only 51% of the people in the state have done the Aadhaar seeding for NFSA, while the government of India wants 100%. Some of the people are trying to mislead the people. The whole nation has already completed 98–99% of KYC. Why is there a problem with Aadhaar seeding only in Meghalaya?” Ymbon said, pulling no punches on the state’s lagging performance.
Slamming those allegedly feeding the public with falsehoods and fear, he said, “I don’t see any problem other than some people trying to mislead our people. Those misleading should take the responsibility if the people do not receive rations after June.”
He reminded that the Centre has already sent a letter to the State Chief Secretary, flagging the dangerously low seeding rate. “Meghalaya is the lowest in Aadhaar seeding today,” he said, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
Ymbon issued an appeal with the clock ticking toward the national deadline.
“I request all the people to kindly cooperate with the department and the government so that the government of India does not cut the allocation. They have given a deadline till June,” the minister said.
Despite repeated outreach, the state continues to struggle with Aadhaar enrolment and seeding, especially in pockets where certain groups have injected religious narratives and superstitious fears into what is fundamentally a verification process.
The result is a dangerously low compliance rate that threatens to strip thousands of their rightful access to subsidised food.
The minister’s comments come amid rising anxiety among the beneficiaries, many of whom risk exclusion from the food security net if the state fails to meet the June cut-off date.