Bhubaneswar: After successfully implemented ‘One Nation One Ration’ programme in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area, the state government is now planning to roll out the new scheme in all remaining urban local bodies (ULBs) of the state.
“Implementation of pilot project ‘One Nation One Ration’ programme in BMC area was successful. We are planning to rollout the programme in other urban areas in the next phase,” said a senior official of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) department.
All 118 fair price shops of BMC area have made portable from September 1 and 8,220 families have availed portability in the first month. It means 8,220 ration card holders have availed ration from other fair shops instead of their allotted fair shops, the official said, adding, “It is a very good sign that people benefited from the move.”
With the implementation of the new system, if the local PDS dealer is exploiting or harassing a beneficiary, the concerned card holder can move to any fair price shop to get the monthly ration.
About 6,000 ration-card holders have not taken their allotted ration in the month of September. These card holders have been marked in the ‘suspected’ list. If they do not take their ration in next three months, their allotment will be temporarily withheld, he said.
In the next phase, the FS&CW department is planning to extend the coverage of ‘One Nation One Ration’ programme to remaining ULB areas of the state. “After that, beneficiaries can collect their rations from anywhere in the fairs shops operated in the ULBs,” the official said. There are about 4,000 such shops opened in different urban areas of the state. At present, the beneficiaries covered under NFSA and State Food Security Scheme get five kg subsidised foodgrains per head, every month.