Govt extends free ration scheme to SFSS beneficiaries for a year

Bhubaneswar: The state government on Tuesday decided to provide 5kg rice free of cost per month to each person left out of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) but covered under the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS). The move comes in the wake of the Centre’s decision to provide free ration to beneficiaries covered under NFSA for a year.
A government statement said the state will spend an additional Rs 185 crore from the exchequer to provide free ration for 12 months from January 2023 onwards. The state government has been distributing 5kg rice per person per month at Re 1/kg since October 2018. Now it will be free of cost, the statement read. The SFSS beneficiaries were provided with 5kg of additional rice and pulses free of cost besides the usual quota at Re 1/kg during the last 28 months keeping in mind the Covid-19 pandemic, similar to what the Centre did for NFSA beneficiaries. Besides, Rs 1000 cash incentive was given to each family under NFSA and SFSS twice. The NFSA covers 78% population of the state, totalling 3.26 crore, while the state scheme covers another 9 lakh.
The Union cabinet had recently decided to give free ration to 81.35 crore people covered under the NFSA for the year 2023 at an annual expenditure of Rs 2 lakh crore. The Centre gives 5kg rice at Rs 3/kg and wheat at Rs 2/kg to NFSA beneficiaries. However, during Covid, free additional ration of 5kg per person was given for more than two years.