The Congress on Friday sought a clarification in the State Assembly from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the delay in implementing the National Food Security Act in the State.
“Though there is a provision under the law that the Act passed in the Parliament needs to be implemented in the States within one year, the same has not been done (in Odisha) within the stipulated time,” leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said while raising the issue during the Zero Hour.
Seeking a reply from the Chief Minister or the concerned Minister, Mishra said that about three-fourths of the State’s population has been denied their right to food as the State Government did not implement the Act within one year time.
He said that because the Central Government would supply food grains to be distributed among the poor and deserving people, the State Government has nothing to lose if it implements the Act.
Mishra pointed out that the Rangarajan Committee has recently stated that about 195 lakh people in the State are poor. “The Rangarajan Committee has exposed the State Government’s false claim of reducing poverty in Odisha,” he said and asked the Government to release the exact number poor people in the State.