Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday said more rice can be allocated to Odisha only if the State submits the utilisation certificates (UCs) and provides exact details of beneficiaries in hostels and welfare institutions run by the State Government.
Passwan’s response came after Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasbumra called on the former in New Delhi and demanded higher allocation of rice to SC/ST hostels and other welfare institutions in the State.
“We give rice to SC and ST hostels. We cannot release grains if the State does not submit utilisation certificate for last year and not provide list of beneficiaries in hostels,” Paswan told reporters after the meeting.
Dasburma has informed the Centre that it was supplying only 803.52 tonnes of rice per month as against 8,387.32 tonnes per month required to meet the demand of 5,47,380 SC/STs residing in hostels and 11,775 inmates of welfare institutions in the State.