BHUBANESWAR: The state government has ordered to supply five kg additional rice to left-out beneficiaries of 19 districts covered under the national and state food security schemes, for three months from September to November.
This extra rice, to be supplied under Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, will be over and above the five kg of ration supplied to individual members under National Food Security Act (NFSA), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and State Food Security Scheme (SFSS).
In an order to collectors of the 19 districts, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department has directed that lifting and delivery of rice to fair price shops should be completed by October 31 and foodgrain distribution should be wrapped up by November 10.
The additional ration will benefit around 2.40 crore members of over 70.47 lakh families including 8.28 lakh families covered under AAY. Each of the Antyodaya families are entitled to 35 kg of rice. These families will now get 40 kg of rice for three months.
The decision to provide additional rice to the ration cardholders was taken following complaints from the beneficiaries that five kg rice per head per month was insufficient to meet the consumption needs of a person.
On Independence Day, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced to extend the benefit of additional rice to ration cardholders of eight KBK districts and three other districts of Boudh, Kandhamal and Gajapati from August to October.
This had created resentment among the beneficiaries of other districts as five kg rice was not sufficient for a person for a month. Following this, another eight districts including Angul, Balasore, Bargarh, Bhadrak etc., were added.
District collectors have been instructed to ensure that fair price shops (FPS) carry out Aadhaar-authenticated distribution of PDS commodities as was being done earlier. The PDS dealers should be directed to prefer use of iris device over fingerprint scanner for Aadhaar-authenticated distribution.
“Only genuine cases including old and infirm, differently-abled, critically ill and leprosy patients, the practice of bypass shall be followed,” the order said. Official sources said the additional rice distribution is a one-time decision to reduce the burden on rice millers who have been putting pressure on the government to remove the surplus rice stocks with them.
Even as the Centre has decided to lift 8 lakh tonne of the state’s 12 lakh tonne surplus rice, the state government will have to find ways to dispose of the additional 4 lakh tonne of rice, it added.
© Copyright 2025 The SSResource Media.
All rights reserved.