Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Wednesday urged the Centre to take immediate steps for the release of pending food subsidy of Rs 10,334.09 crore, and early evacuation of surplus rice from the state.
Odisha’s Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister RP Swain wrote a letter to Union minister Piyush Goyal seeking his intervention to resolve the issues.
In the letter to the Union minister holding the charge food and consumer affairs, Swain also expressed concern over the “delay in the release of food subsidy by the Centre”.
As per the memorandum of understanding with the Central government, there should be a zero financial burden on the state procuring agency for purchasing paddy from farmers, Swain mentioned in the letter.
The state-owned Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation, the major procuring agency, is to receive Rs.7931.90 crore as provisional subsidy and Rs 2402.19 crore as advance subsidy with the total subsidy claim standing at about Rs.10,334 crore by the end of April 2022, Swain mentioned in the letter.
“This apart, the additional interest incurred till March 31, 2022, because of a delay in release and short release of subsidy comes to around Rs 5,454.67 crore which remains un-recouped and should be paid by the Government of India,” the letter read.
In the ensuing Kharif Marketing Season 2021-22, out of 52 lakh MT of estimated procurement of rice, Odisha’s consumption is about 39 lakh MT under PDS and other welfare schemes and the state is likely to have a surplus of 13 lakhs MT of rice which should be lifted immediately for smooth procurement operation, he said.
The state government has also taken all necessary steps to deliver 5 lakh MT of fortified parboiled rice to FCI as per the target given by the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Swain said.
Odisha is in a position to deliver a higher quantity of fortified parboiled rice and the DFPD has been requested to give an additional target of fortified parboiled rice during KMS 2021-22, the letter read.
Swain also requested to make available the required wheat stocks for Puri, Khurda, and Nayagarh districts at FCI Depots at Jagatpur, Cuttack.
PTI
