Second phase NFSA roll out begins in Odisha, protest in Baleswar

Ayaskant Das Published On : Oct 29, 2015 at 2:20 PM Updated On : Oct 29, 2015 at 2:21 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Baripada, Oct 29:

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today launched the second phase of distribution of digitised ration cards to the beneficiaries under National Food Security Act (NFSA) here.

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In the second phase, digitised ration cards would be distributed to the beneficiaries in 16 districts across the state in Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khurda, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Baleswar, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundergarh district in the second phase.

As many as 52, 88, 681 families would be provided with digitized ration cards in the second phase roll out in which 2, 01, 79, 605 beneficiaries would be benefitted under the scheme.

In the first phase, a total of 93.35 lakh beneficiaries of 26.33 families in 14 districts were included under the scheme. The digitised cards were distributed in Kandhamal, Angul, Sonepur, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Koraput, Boudh and Deogarh districts.

On the other hand, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members today protested the ration card distribution programmed orgaznised by district administration at district headquarters town of Baleswar at Gandhi Smruti Bhawan where the activists showed black flags to state Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

The activists of the saffron party protested the launching of the programme by state ministers as the food security scheme is a Central scheme and it should have been launched by the government officials.

Besides, they alleged that the genuine applicants have been left out; their names have been struck off from the list of beneficiaries. Instead, persons having affiliation to the ruling Biju Janata Dal have been included in the list.

They shouted slogans against the minister and around 100 of them were later taken into preventive custody.

Remuna MLA Gobainda Chandra Das BJP district president Madan Mohan Dutta led the protest march in the coastal town. The duo is among those who were taken into custody by the police.

Reacting to this Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said: “We are trying to include the eligible beneficiaries under the scheme. If there is any discerepancy in the list, we would try to sort it out. The Opposition members are protesting for the sake of protesting just because they are in the opposition. This is not the way to protest.”