Food panel raps Govt

BHUBANESWAR: Contrary to the claims  of the State Government of extending food security to additional 30 lakh poor people of the State, Odisha State Food Commission has expressed displeasure over non-inclusion of over 3.36 lakh eligible poor in the scheme.

Although the State Government is authorised by the Centre to assist 3,26,41,800 people under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the Commission has noticed that food allocation in March was for 3,23,05,087 persons rendering 3,36,731 persons out of the programme.

“It is a matter of concern that as many as 41,010 households were enlisted under the draft final priority list (FPL). These households are eligible to get new ration cards but they have been kept in  the waiting list,” the Commission said in a letter to district collectors.

Chairperson of the Commission RL Jamuda has requested the collectors to move the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department for allocation of food grains for these left-out people.

The Commission has further expressed displeasure over delay in issue of ration cards to 1,53,874 households. While 37,863 beneficiaries of Puri district have not received printed ration cards, number of such beneficiaries are 20,895 in Gajapati, 20,219 in Jajpur and 11,236 in Balangiri districts.
Expressing concern over non-exclusion dead beneficiaries, the Commission said only 20,839 dead beneficiaries have been detected by end of last year. As per conservative estimate, at least 2 lakh beneficiaries should be deleted from the list.

“It is really disappointing that not a single dead beneficiary was detected in Malkangiri district in December 2018 and January 2019,” the letter said.