Even as Odisha has chosen its own criteria to identify its beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the process of identification of the beneficiaries for this ambitious national scheme is unlikely to be completed by this yearend, at least in the ten districts coming under the Central Division of the State.
Notwithstanding the pathetic situation in these districts, Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Sanjay Dasburma claimed here on Saturday that the identification process in the ten districts would end by September 30 and the beneficiaries would use their ration cards from October 1.
Dasburma along with School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra and Government Chief Whip in the Assembly Ananta Das reviewed the situation of the ten districts coming under the Central Division here on Saturday at the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC). The ten districts coming under this division are Cuttack, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Khordha, Puri, Nayagarh, Bhadrak, Baleswar and Mayurbhanj.
Sources said that out of a total population of 1.82 crore in these districts, more than 95 per cent (1.73 crore) have applied for ration cards. “This has happened because people have applied at multiple locations and many ineligible persons too have wished to be covered under the scheme that aims at providing subsidised food grains.
Asking the officials and agencies engaged in identifying the beneficiaries to prepare a flawless list by September 30, the Minister has urged the ineligible persons to withdraw their names voluntarily, lest they would be prosecuted in accordance with law. According to the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011, only less than 75 per cent people in these districts are eligible to be covered under the NFSA.
Sources said the list of beneficiaries would be pruned to accommodate only 70 per cent people in Cuttack, 76 per cent in Jajpur, 85 per cent in Baleswar, 66 per cent in Bhadrak, 78 per cent in Jagatsinghpur, 79 per cent in Nayagarh, 64 per cent in Mayurbhanj, 74 per cent in Khordha, 79 per cent in Kendrapada and 77 per cent in Puri district.