Bhubaneswar: In a major move ahead of the general elections, the state government Saturday announced it would roll out its own food security scheme from October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) this year. About 34.44 lakh beneficiaries, who were left out from the National Food Security Act, will be covered under the new scheme.
Chief Minister Naveen Patanik made this announcement while addressing the people interface programme “Ama Mukhya Mantri, Ama Katha” (Our CM, Our Issue).
“As I had promised you in 2014 that we will enact our own food security scheme, we will implement it from October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) this year as lots of our eligible beneficiaries have been deprived of the National Food Security Act (NFSA),” Naveen said.
- About 34.44 lakh beneficiaries, who were left out from the National Food Security Act, will be covered under the new scheme
- The NFSA is being implemented in Odisha since November 2015 and it covers over 3.26 crore people
The Chief Minister said that his government has been providing rice at Rs 2 per kg since 2008. Following its successful implementation, the state government implemented the Re 1 per kg rice scheme for the poor from 2013. As far as food security is concerned, it is a milestone in the entire country.
Several lakh people could not be included in Centre’s NFSA as ration under the programme is being provided based on 2011 census, he said, adding, “I have written to the Centre umpteen times in this regard, but nothing has been done till date.”
“Therefore, the state government has come up with this scheme for you. All the poor people will be covered under this food security programme. Not a single needy person will be deprived of food security,” he added.
The NFSA is being implemented in Odisha since November 2015 and it covers over 3.26 crore people. Naveen had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding inclusion of additional 34.44 lakh beneficiaries under NFSA, May 23 this year. The BJD had promised in its 2014 election manifesto a state-specific food security Act.
Meanwhile, Opposition Congress and BJP have criticised the BJD government over the new move alleging that it was meant to woo voters for 2019 polls.
Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said, “During last 18 years rule, he (Naveen) never felt the need for this. Why did he feel it now? He has announced the scheme only to garner more votes in the upcoming elections.”
The Congress leader also questioned how the government got the figure 34.44 lakh, when no census was conducted recently.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Jual Oram said, “As they have included many rich persons in the NFSA and genuine beneficiaries have deprived, they have announced the scheme to rectify their mistake. But, people of this state will give a befitted reply to this.”
State BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty questioned, “If the government is so concerned about the NFSA leaving out the poor, why did it announce the scheme so late, that too just before the general elections?”
Reacting to the allegations of Opposition parties, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, “If the Opposition parties are making such allegations, it is highly condemnable. If they have any information that rich persons have been included, they could have submitted it to the Centre for necessary action. They are just doing politics.”
PNN