The Union Government has extended the time limit of completing identification of beneficiaries and other preparatory measures to September 30, 2015 to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) in the State.
Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, while intimating the extension of time period has requested to review the progress in identification of beneficiaries for coverage under NFSA.
The Union Minister has said the Act provided one year for identification of eligible households for coverage. However, the Centre has extended the time limit four times and now the last extension is till 30 September, 2015, by which all these jobs are to be completed.
“In order to ensure leakage free and effective delivery of benefits of the Act, necessary strengthening of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) has to go hand in hand,” Paswan said.
So far Odisha is concerned it has taken lead in computerisation of TPDS operations as the State has instituted online allocation of food grains while transparency portal is in place with toll free numbers available for public response, sources said.