BHUBANESWAR: Politics over free foodgrain under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) has heated up in Odisha after the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution asked states to provide printed receipts to beneficiaries indicating that the cost is borne by the Centre.In a letter, director (public distribution) Vivek Shukla has urged the Food Supplies department to provide separate print receipts to NFSA and state scheme beneficiaries mentioning the name of the agency, which is bearing the cost.
“Exclusive print receipt needs to be printed for NFSA distribution and separate receipt to be printed for state scheme, if any, or any additional quantity if issued by the state. The print receipt of NFSA must prominently indicate free food grain distribution and subsidy borne by the Government of India,” the letter stated.
The ministry has also asked to immediately issue instructions to the NIC team/technical team to incorporate certain changes in the IT systems and ePoS application to ensure separate biometric authentications for free-of-cost food grains distribution under NFSA and state scheme, if any and fair price shop dealers are aware about the new arrangement.
The BJP, which is at loggerheads with the BJD government over the credit of providing subsidised rice, claimed that the state government cannot mislead people any more.Party’s national spokesperson and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi said the state government had been claiming credit for the subsidised rice when the Centre was bearing 90 per cent of the cost of rice provided under NFSA.
“Now people of Odisha will come to know that the Centre is providing free rice under NFSA to 3.25 crore beneficiaries in the state. Since the receipt will make it clear who is bearing the cost, no one can mislead the beneficiaries,” she said.
State Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said the Centre has just changed the name of the scheme for political gains at the cost of poor and deprived beneficiaries.
“Earlier, 3.25 crore people in Odisha were getting 10 kg of rice per month each as they were receiving 5 kg under NFSA and 5 kg under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) started during Covid-19 pandemic. As the Centre has stopped the PMGKAY, the beneficiaries will now get only 5 kg rice each,” he pointed out.
As per the Centre’s decision, subsidised rice that was being distributed at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse grains at Rs 1 per kg is now available free of cost under NFSA.