The Samajwadi Party (SP) has urged CM Naveen Patnaik to continue providing rations to the poor people of the State under a State-sponsored food security scheme as the Central Government would stop the Pradhanmantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKAY) after November 30.
SP State president Rabi Behera in a letter to the CM said that after the PMGKAY is stopped, the vulnerable sections who were getting free ration of 5 kg rice / wheat and one kg Dal per month per head because of the Corona pandemic will be deprived of the benefit and hence, their food security would be at a stake.
Behera said, “As the pandemic threat is reduced, the Center is goingto stop the scheme for the poor from November 30 as announced by the Food Secretary on November 5.
But many of the people are yet to return to their jobs after the Corona pandemic struck and the food security of many poor people is still at a stake which needs intervention by the State to mitigate their suffering.”
Apprehending that the discontinuance of the food scheme would land millions in starvation, Behera sought the intervention of Patnaik urging him to launch a special food scheme so that nobody remainshungry.