The State Government has received a total of 16,42,444 new applications for availing ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, and of them 4.88 lakh have been qualified for getting cards by now.
These new applications were received after 53,883 persons returned their cards distributed to them earlier.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department Sanjay Dasburma informed this in the State Assembly on Saturday in response to a question of BJP MlA Dilip Ray.
Among new applications, highest 2,10,912 applications have been received from Ganjam district followed by, 1,00,480 from Khordha, 88, 023 from Boudh and 77,081 from Baleswar. The lowest numbers of 4,288 applications have been received from Sambalpur district.
Earlier, the Government had received a total of 1.05 crore applications involving 3.95 lakh people for availing ration cards under NFSA. Of these, 22.71 lakh applications were rejected and 83.28 lakh were qualified to get ration cards. While 79.01 lakh ration cards were printed and sent to districts, 77.47 lakh cards have been distributed by now. The distribution of the printed rest cards is underway.