BJP flays Odisha govt for failure to frame NFSA rules

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 4:

Senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra on Sunday castigated the Odisha government for its failure to frame rules for implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the state as required under NFSA rules.

Photo Courtesy: wfsnews.org
Photo Courtesy: wfsnews.org

“The NFSA programme has started in Odisha, but the rules are yet to be framed. District level commissions and redressal committees have not been formed wither. When Union ministry mooted the scheme, Naveen Patnaik said the state was ignored; it is hilarious,” Mohapatra said addressing a press conference here today.

In the last four years, about Rs 6,000 crores has gone back to the centre because the Odisha government failed to spend the money sanctioned under various schemes. It has failed to spend Rs 12751 crore out of the amount sanctioned in the 2013-14 budget and submit utilisation certificate (UC) for Rs 7949 crores, the BJP leader said.

The ruling BJD has reacted sharply to Mohapatra’s allegations. “We do not need to give any clarification to a particular party about implementation of National Food Security Act. If the Central government asks for an explanation, the state government would provide it,” said Sashibhushan Behera, BJD spokesperson.

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was launched in Odisha on October 2 with the distribution of digital ration cards in 14 districts in the first phase.

As many as 93.35 lakh beneficiaries of 26.33 lakh families will be brought under NFSA in the first phase across the state.

The state government aims to complete distribution of new ration cards at the panchayat level in the 14 districts of Kandhamal, Angul, Sonepur, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Koraput, Boudh and Deogarh by October 8.

The beneficiaries in the remaining 16 districts will be covered under the scheme in the second phase by October 26. The distribution on new cards in second phase will begin from October 16.

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