Identification of priority households for implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) has been put to fast-track in the State.
It was revealed at a review meeting held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary GC Pati at the State Secretariat on Saturday. Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare secretary Madhusudan Padhi presented the updates and outlined issues for discussion at the meeting.The Chief Secretary advised the department to match the enlisted households with the NPR and Socio-Economic Survey data base to eliminate the inclusion and exclusion errors.
Pati further directed that consumer welfare activities be augmented with involvement of consumers.The Government has already approved eight exclusion and five inclusion criteria for identification of priority households under the NFSA. These have been put on public domain in www. foododisha.com. Meanwhile, the first phase of the pilot project for identification of priority households in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and block areas has come to an end.
Applications received have been digitised and published inviting objection from the public. After considerations of the objections, the list would be put in ward, gram sabha, panchayat samiti and corporation level meetings for scrutiny.It was decided that the process for identification of priority households for the entire State would begin in January. Registration centres would be located at panchayat and UlB levels. These centres would function for two months. A dynamic Ration Card Management System (RCMS) would be put in place in the State Data Center for managing new applications and modifications.Among others, Odisha State Civil supplies Corporation Managing Director Niranjan Nayak and Consumer Welfare Director Ratnakara Rout participated in the deliberations.