Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches second phase of digitised ration card distribution

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today launched the second phase of digitised ration cards distribution among the beneficiaries under National Food Security Act (NFSA) here.

In the second phase, digitised ration cards will be distributed to 52,88,681 families in 16 districts and 2,01,79,605 people will be benefited under the scheme, officials said.

The 16 districts are Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Puri, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Nabarangpur, Balasore, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Rayagada and Sundergarh.

The second phase card holders of the NFSA will get the essentials from December 1, while the beneficiaries of first phase living in 14 other districts to avail rations from November 1, the officials said.

In the first phase, the state government had added 14 districts of Kandhamal, Angul, Sonepur, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Koraput, Boudh and Deogarh under the scheme.

A total of 93.35 lakh beneficiaries of 26.33 lakh families have been brought under NFSA in the first phase, they said.

Police took about 60 people into custody as BJP and JMM activists were set to oppose Patnaik's visit to Mayurbhanj. They were, however, released after the chief minister left the district headquarters town.

Odisha's Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu S Nayak, however, faced the ire of the BJP activists at neighbouring Balasore when he reached the town for distributing ration cards.

The activists showed black flags to health minister alleging that the beneficiaries were chosen on the basis of their political loyalty.