BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has stopped accepting fresh applications from eligible beneficiaries for ration cards under National Food Security Act (NFSA) to speed up the process for implementation of its own food security scheme. An official of the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) Department said no application will be accepted at the centres having the ration card management system till October 2, the scheduled date of rolling out of the new food security scheme by the State.
While the Centre had asked the State to provide the ration cards under NFSA to 3.26 crore people, sources said 3.22 crore cards have been issued so far. Meanwhile, FS&CW Secretary VV Yadav has asked the Collectors of all districts to finalise the list of eligible beneficiaries for the State food security scheme and start their enrolment. As per the direction, the Collectors have initiated the process for identifying the people left out from the NFSA.
While announcing the scheme last month, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said all eligible people, who are not part of the NFSA, would be covered under the State food security scheme. The State Government will spend `220 crore for the purpose. Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Surya Narayan Patro said as per the initial estimate, nearly 25 lakh people have been left-out of NFSA and the identification of the beneficiaries is underway.
“People have been asked to apply for the scheme and the department will receive applications in this regard till September 4. People eligible for the scheme can apply at panchayat, block, NAC and municipality offices,” Patro told reporters here on Monday.If the number of the application exceeds 25 lakh, he said, arrangements would be made for their inclusion at the later stage.The Minister said efforts are on to include about 25 lakh beneficiaries in the first phase and later all needy people, including poor, old, widow and physically-challenged would be included.