Now take home ration will not be available without OTP in UP, Yogi government's big decision:

News Topical, Digital Desk : UP News: The Uttar Pradesh government has made a major change in the take-home ration (THR) distribution system to further strengthen the campaign against malnutrition. On the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, from July 1, 2025, all 1.18 crore beneficiaries of the state will get ration only when their face is verified by the Face Recognition System (FRS) and the OTP sent to the registered mobile will be matched at the Anganwadi center. The objective is clear that the benefits of the scheme should reach only those who are truly eligible and there should be no scope for fraud.

Identification in FRS takes place in two stages. First, the Anganwadi worker takes a live photo of the beneficiary from the tablet, which is matched with Aadhaar-based e-KYC data. On matching, a six-digit OTP is sent to the beneficiary's mobile, which is entered and the food packet is issued. If the beneficiary does not have a mobile, then the process can be completed with the number of the guardian or husband/wife.

The pilot of FRS started in Bidhanu and Sarsaul blocks of Kanpur Nagar in August 2024. After rectifying the deficiencies, it was extended to all 75 districts by 1 November 2024. According to the latest government data, out of 1.18 crore beneficiaries, e-KYC of about 54 lakh has been updated till 13 June 2025. Cities like Kanpur, Lucknow and Ghaziabad are at more than 45 percent progress, while the pace is slow in districts like Badaun and Bahraich. The Chief Minister has ordered a special drive for such districts.

Organize daily camps at block and panchayat levels

All DMs have been asked to organize daily camps at block and panchayat levels before the July deadline. The Chief Development Officer will directly monitor. Anganwadi workers are being provided with tablets, portable nets and generators so that e-KYC can be done even in remote villages. Promotional chariots will also be sent to social media, Akashvani and rural markets.

Under the take-home ration scheme, nutritious food packets are given to pregnant and lactating mothers, children between 6 months to 6 years and school-going adolescent girls. Earlier, there were complaints of ration being lifted by adding fake names and being sold in the market. Now, with FRS, there will be digital details of each packet, which will save the government treasury and the real beneficiaries will never be deprived.

Needy mothers and children will get timely nutrition

Nutrition experts are calling it a game-changer. Social worker Vanshika Ahuja says that if the identification is correct, then needy mothers and children will get nutrition at the right time. This can lead to a sharp decline in the rate of anemia and underweight. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has clarified that “malnutrition-free Uttar Pradesh is my top priority. Laxity in implementing FRS will not be tolerated. The government is confident that this transparent system will not only improve nutrition indicators but will also strengthen the public's trust in the scheme and this is the real objective of Strong UP, Healthy UP.