Rayagada: As many as 3,882 beneficiaries are now out of the ambit of PM POSHAN (POshan SHAkti Nirman) due to lack of Aadhaar-mobile number updation, while they could not be traced during the facial recognition drive, according to Women and Child Development department officials. Officials said most of the missing beneficiaries have migrated outside the district for livelihood, while several others have mobile numbers linked to their Aadhaar cards that are no longer active. This has disrupted the verification and enrolment process under the facial recognition system (FRS). Of the 3,882 untraced beneficiaries, Kashipur block accounts for the highest number at 1,476, while Rayagada block and urban area account for 561. The lowest number is in Ramanaguda block, with 61 beneficiaries unaccounted for. Gunupur block and its urban area have 185 missing beneficiaries. The state government introduced FRS to improve transparency in distribution of nutritional supplements under POSHAN scheme. As part of this system, each beneficiary’s Aadhaar data must be updated and linked to the FRS for authentication.
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Beneficiaries who are not integrated into the system will not be eligible to receive fortified food items such as ragi laddu, chhatua, eggs, and cooked meals. Rayagada district has a total of 57,957 beneficiaries, of whom 54,075 have been successfully enrolled under FRS. The remaining 3,882 beneficiaries, covering children, women, pregnant and lactating mothers, and adolescent girls, are yet to be verified. While 93 per cent of beneficiaries have been integrated into the system, the backlog of 7 per cent remains unresolved. The FRS enrolment drive began in June, and officials acknowledge that such a large number of exclusions warrants further inquiry. District Social Welfare Officer Minati Deo said awareness programmes are being conducted across villages to ensure all beneficiaries update their Aadhaar details. “We have achieved 93 per cent FRS enrolment in the district. Efforts are on to cover the remaining beneficiaries, but Aadhaar updates must be completed first,” she said. Field workers added that many beneficiaries are currently away from their villages, which has slowed the update process. Nevertheless, the department continues its outreach to ensure no eligible person is denied nutrition support.
