Food security bill to affect Odisha adversely: Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday said the food security bill that was promulgated as an ordinance recently would have a serious impact in his state.

It is understood that overall rice allotment to the state would decrease from 182,000 tonnes per month at present to 170,000 tonnes, leading to a reduction of 12,000 metric tonnes per month.

This will have a serious impact on the state, Patnaik said, while inaugurating a 15,000 tonne storage facility constructed by Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) at Jatni town, about 23 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

Raising the issue of the introduction of a new system of entitlement in the food security bill, the chief minister said that the new system provides for individual entitlement as against the family entitlement system at present.

The new system provides for five kg of foodgrain per person per month, whereas the present system provides 25 kg of rice per month per family, he said.

After the implementation of the bill, small families and old couples living alone may get only 10-15 kg of foodgrain per month.

This will have a serious adverse impact on the household food security of smaller families, Patnaik said.

The chief minister also said that the new bill has no mention of special groups like Annapurna beneficiaries, emergency feeding and rice to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe hostels.