Bhubaneswar: Odisha government is going to open rice ATMs in Jharsuguda, Nabarangpur, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal districts in the near future, Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister KC Patra told the Assembly Wednesday.
The first rice ATM in the state has been opened at the Mancheswar area under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits in Khurda district in 2024, the minister said, while replying to a written question of BJD legislator Goutam Buddha Das.
Since July 2024, a total of 20,217 ration card holders have withdrawn 3,800 quintals of the cereal through the rice ATM at Mancheswar, he said.
The rice ATM was sponsored by the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The state government has not made any allocation for this in the 2025-26 Budget.
Notably, the rice ATM initiative is aimed at enhancing nutritional security among the poor people by providing 24/7 access to the cereal.
Beneficiaries need Aadhaar and undergo biometric authentication to get access to the facility. Once authenticated, the machine dispenses the entitled grain within five minutes, an official said.
PTI
