Odisha implements NFSA in 14 districts

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was today implemented in 14 of the 30 districts of Odisha in first phase covering 26.33 lakh families, an official said.
As many as 93.35 lakh people would be benefitted from the scheme that was launched in 14 districts today, the official said.
In the first phase, the NFSA is to be launched in the districts of Angul, Bargarh, Boudh, Balangir, Deogarh, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Sambalpur and Sonepur, he said.
The beneficiaries would get 5 kg of rice or wheat at Rs 3 and Rs 2 respectively from PDS centres in the 14 districts.

The state government had earlier distributed digitized ration cards among the beneficiaries.
Opposition Congress, however, slammed the state government for implementing the NFSA "two years after its inception in 2013."

"There have been gross irregularities in selection of beneficiaries by the state government," OPCC President Prasad Harichandan alleged.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan too alleged that some poor people in the state have been excluded from the list under NFSA and the state government should first identify real beneficiaries for the successful implementation of the scheme.
Meanwhile, the Food supplies and Consumer Welfare department has issued directives to the district administration to monitor the implementation of the NFSA and rectify irregularities if any.

The second phase of the NFSA will be implemented in 16 other districts from December 1.