Odisha demands more rice allocation to SC/ST hostels

Odisha today sought from the Centre higher allocation of rice to SC/ST hostels and other welfare institutions in the state.
Odisha Food Minister Sanjay Kumar Das Burma conveyed this at a meeting with Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who said more rice can be allocated only if the state submits the utilisation certificates and provides exact details of beneficiaries in hostels and welfare institutions.
"We give rice to scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) hostels. We cannot release grains if the state does not submit utilisation certificate for last year and not provide list of beneficiaries in hostels," Paswan told reporters after the meeting.

Burma has informed the Centre that it was supplying only 803.52 tonnes of rice per month as against 8,387.32 tonnes per month required to meet the demand of 5,47,380 SC/STs residing in hostels and 11,775 inmates of welfare institutions in the state.
The state is facing a shortfall of 7,583 tonnes of rice which at present is being met out of the state pool for which there is a financial burden of Rs 213 crore per annum on the state government, he said.