BHUBANESWAR: The state government is planning to open Jan Poshan Kendras in every panchayat to provide subsidised food items like ‘atta’, sugar, salt and pulses.
Speaking to the mediapersons on Friday, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra announced that a pilot project with five centres will be rolled out initially to identify operational challenges and gather feedback before its full implementation in the entire state.
The minister said that the initiative will also focus on the middle class who are overlooked in welfare schemes but affected by rising prices of essential commodities. The government is finalising eligibility criteria and guidelines to ensure transparency and effective implementation, he added.
At present, more than 3.26 crore people in Odisha are covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The planned expansion via Jan Poshan Kendras is set to include an additional 50 lakh beneficiaries, mainly from the middle class, within the food security framework, the minister added.