Baripada, Oct 30: In a huge relief to farmers of Mayurbhanj, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday declared the district as drought-affected, apart from announcing waiver of water tax.
He made the announcement while launching the second phase of digitised ration card distribution among the beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) at Chhupadia here.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister reiterated that his government has always been with the farmers, as the latter are being provided with all necessary facilities and opportunities.He also stated that no hurdles will be allowed to exist in the way of education for tribal children.Patnaik said instruction has been issued to the officials concerned to ensure that eligible beneficiaries are not left out of the NFSA coverage.
After arriving here at 12.15 pm, Patnaik laid the foundation stone of the building of a skill development centre, distributed ration cards among beneficiaries, laptops among college students and pensions among widows and differently-abled persons.In the second phase, the digitised ration cards will be distributed to 52,88,681 families in 16 districts and 2,01,79,605 people will be benefitted under the scheme, officials said. The 16 districts are Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Puri, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Nabarangpur, Balasore, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Rayagada and Sundargarh.
Speaking on the occasion, food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Kumar Das Burma said about 86 per cent of Mayurbhanj’s population will be benefitted from the NFSA.
He also hinted that Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College will be completed by March, 2017.The second phase cardholders of the NFSA will get the essentials from December 1, while the beneficiaries of the first phase in 14 other districts have been availing rations from November 1, the officials said.
In the first phase, the state government had included Kandhamal, Angul, Sonepur, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Koraput, Boudh and Deogarh under the scheme.A total of 93.35 lakh beneficiaries of 26.33 lakh families have been brought under NFSA in the first phase, officials said. PNN/AGENCIES