1.5L beneficiaries added to state food security scheme

Bhubaneswar: Around 1.5 lakh new beneficiaries of over 54,000 families have been covered under the state food security scheme (SFSS) during the ongoing lockdown period as part of the government’s move to ensure food security for all.
All the new beneficiaries are eligible to get five kg of wheat or rice per person/month at Rs 1 under the SFSS and other benefits provided by the Centre and state government in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The new beneficiaries have been added as per the state government’s decision to include five lakh new beneficiaries under the SFSS. The district-wise target has been set accordingly. So far, we have added 1.5 lakh beneficiaries. We are reviewing the situation every Friday,” a senior government official said.
With the addition of the 1.5 lakh new beneficiaries of 54,000 families, altogether 95 lakh families have so far been covered under the national and state food security schemes.
State food supplies and consumer welfare minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said the state government’s key focus is to ensure food security of all persons during the lockdown.
“Our chief minister has directed us to ensure that not a single person remains hungry during the lockdown. Our department is leaving no stone unturned to ensure food for all. The doorstep delivery of PDS goods too has been ensured by the department,” Swain said.
Earlier, the state government had announced to provide advance ration of three months (April/June) to all the beneficiaries of the food security scheme apart from a financial assistance of Rs 1,000. So far, nearly 92 lakh beneficiaries have received advance ration and the financial assistance of Rs 1,000 each.
Similarly, under the Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the food security beneficiaries have been receiving five kg of rice per head for three months and a kg of pulses per family for three months, free of cost.