Statewide launch of ‘Anna Seve’ app lets Karnataka PDS users finish e‑KYC from October 14

Rollout

Karnataka’s ‘Anna Seve’ mobile app will be available across all districts from October 14, letting Public Distribution System beneficiaries complete e‑KYC without visiting fair‑price shops or government offices. The app was launched by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad on October 1 in Bengaluru. It was first tested in eight districts as a pilot.

Numbers

During the pilot, 1,60,267 beneficiaries completed e‑KYC through the app between October 1 and 12. Across the state, 2,67,64,276 PDS beneficiaries are required to do e‑KYC; 2,06,76,278 had already completed the process as of October 12, including those who had done it more than a year ago and must repeat it.

Deadline

The department has set October 20 as the final deadline for completing verification. Minister Arshad urged anyone who has not yet finished e‑KYC to download the app from the Google Play Store and finish the process promptly.

Context

The app was built with the National Informatics Centre and the Department of e‑Governance to reduce travel and queueing for migrant workers and other beneficiaries who previously had to go to their home villages or stand in long lines at fair‑price shops. It aims to help migrants who often travel long distances to verify their identity.