Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs KV Thomas, on a visit to Odisha, on Friday said the State Govt has failed to lift the additional quota of PDS rice, supplied by the Centre, in due time.
Addressing to the media, Thomas said this even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday opposed the Food Security Ordinance promulgates by the UPA Government at an inaugural ceremony of the Food Corporation of India at Jatni. Patnaik said the State's monthly quota of rice would decline by about 12,000 tonnes under the Ordinance and sought certain changes in it.
"While the State at present gets 1,82,000 tonnes of rice per month, it would come down to 1,70,000 tonnes once the Ordinance is implemented," Patnaik alleged. The Ordinance aims at providing rice to individuals, but rice allotment in the State is on the basis of the family, he said.
Stating that tribal and dalit families might fall victims to the Ordinance, Patnaik said, "An old couple who received 25 kg of rice every month will get only 10 kg to 15kg." On the other hand, Thomas said that during the year 2010-11 the State Government lifted only 92.4 per cent of the allocated 2,221.788 tonnes of rice, 97.1 per cent of 2,118 tonnes in 2011-12 and 96.6 per cent of 2,194.266 tonnes in 2012-13.
He further said the State has failed to lift cent per cent of the BPl allocation during 2011-12; the offtake being only 59.81 per cent of 252.906 tonnes of rice and in 2012-13 only 76.16 per cent against allocation of 227.615 tonnes.