Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, July 18: The state government, which plans to implement the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 in the state from October 1, is facing huge difficulties in removing the bottlenecks for its proper implementation.
A major problem is the number of applications that have been received. The actual number of people to be benefited from the scheme is around 3.26 crore, of which 80 per cent are from rural areas.
However, according to the food supply and consumer affairs (FSCW) department, about 3.92 crore names of beneficiaries have been digitized out of a total population of 4.19 lakh enumerated in the 2011 census in the state. This has made the publication of the correct list of , beneficiaries a Herculean task. The government has decided to launch criminal cases against the ineligible beneficiaries. Collectors now face the tough challenge of sorting out the issue.
The NFSA Act envisages allocation of foodgrains at the rate of 5 kg per person per month for priority households. However, it also covers Antyodaya Anna Yojana households who will continue to get 35 kg per family every month.
The Centre has taken the average AAY family size at five and has calculated the state’s entitlement under the Act. However, the enumeration taken up during beneficiary identification under the NFSA show that there are an average of four members per AAY family, sources said. The Centre’s formula would reduce the state’s entitlement under the Act by 7,650 MT of grain per month and thus affect 15.3 lakh beneficiaries.
As the there are also AAY families with just one member or two members, which is bringing down the average family size, the state government has requested the Centre to use the average size of family as per actual enumeration to determine the state’s entitlements under the Act. The food minister has raised the issue before the Centre but this has yet to be addressed, sources from the department said.
Food secretary Madhusudan Padhi said the state government will publish the final list of beneficiaries under the scheme by August and the scheme will be rolled out October 1.
