Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Oct 29: Unable to distribute digitised ration cards to the beneficiaries in time, the state government Wednesday rescheduled the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) – 2013 from November 1 to 16. The programme that will be implemented in two phases was scheduled to be launched in 14 districts in the first phase.
“The first phase implementation of NFSA will begin in 14 districts from November 16,” said food supplies and consumer welfare (FSCW) secretary Madhusudan Padhi, adding, “The beneficiaries who have not received ration cards for the first phase would be provided the same within six days.”
Sources said the FSCW department has failed to implement the scheme in time as around 20,000 beneficiaries in the districts like Malkangiri, Bolangir and a few others are yet to receive the digitised ration cards.
About 26 lakh beneficiary families of 14 districts in the state will receive ration under NFSA in the first phase, said sources.
The proposed food security programme which would be implemented in the state in two phases would include Angul, Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Deogarh, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Koraput districts in the first phase.
This is not the first time that the programme has been rescheduled. Earlier, the state government had missed the deadline of October 1, 2015 for its implementation. With 69 lakh ineligible applicants remaining in the beneficiaries’ list, the government has sought more time from the Centre to remove their names from the list and accordingly the deadline was extended to November 1.
2nd phase card distribution
Distribution of digitised ration cards for the remaining 16 districts will commence Thursday. CM Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the programme at Baripada. More than 51 lakh families will receive ration cards in the second phase. According to the Central norms, the NFSA programme would cater to the needs of 3.26 crore individuals in the state.
