First phase of NFSA rolls out in 14 Odisha districts

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 2:

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

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the programme at a state-level function organised here at Jaidev Bhawan to distribute the new digitised ration cards to beneficiaries.

While Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the programme here, ministers have been given the responsibility to distribute the cards at district-level.

Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Das Burma and department secretary Madhusudan Padhi will formally launch the distribution of digitised ration cards in Malkangiri district today at around 2 pm at a function organised in the district headquarters today.

“The much-awaited National Food Security Act (NFSA) is going to be implemented today. Minister will distribute ration cards to beneficiaries in 14 districts today,” Minister Sanjay Das Burma said.

Of the 5, 15, 118 beneficiaries in Malkangiri, 4.91 lakh digitised ration cards will be distributed 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, officials said.

It may be mentioned that 3.26 crore beneficiaries will be eligible to avail the subsidised foodgrains under this scheme. The legitimate card holders would get 5 kg rice and wheat at Rs 3 and Rs 2 a kilo respectively every month.