Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to sanction inclusion of 34.44 lakh more beneficiaries of the State under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
In his letter to Modi on Wednesday, Patnaik also suggested that a mechanism be put in place wherein the target is modified at regular intervals to increase coverage of the NFSA beneficiaries in accordance with the increase in population.
Patnaik mentioned that Odisha was given a target of 3,26,41,800 beneficiaries which was 78 per cent of the 2011 Census population of 4,19,74,218.
“According to 2011 Census data, the rate of growth of population of Odisha was 14% in the last decade. If we extrapolate this date, then in 2018 the population of Odisha has increased by 10.22% as compared to 2011. It is estimated that the total population of Odisha in 2018 would be 4,62,63,983.
Allowing the same percentage of coverage as was decided when the Act came into force then we are entitled to cover 3,60,85,907 beneficiaries under the NMFS Act,” Patnaik wrote requesting Modi for sanction of additional 34.44 lakh beneficiaries for the State to ensure food security to all eligible persons.