Bhubaneswar: The state government has once again urged the Centre to enhance the state’s rice quota under National Food Security Act (NFSA) so that over 32 lakh people who have been left out can be covered.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Surya Narayan Patro raised the demand at the fourth meeting of National Advisory Committee held under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Ram Vilas Paswan in New Delhi, Friday.
As per the provisions of the NFSA, the Odisha government has identified eligible beneficiaries using the Census 2011 population data, which is around 77.06 per cent of the census figures, Patro said.
But, the population has increased by about 8 per cent in the state in 2018. Therefore, the state demanded of the Centre to enhance the rice quota under NFSA so that the left-out can also get the benefit, he told the Centre.
Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written letters to the Prime Minister and the Union Food Supplies minister demanding rice as per the number of beneficiaries.