Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has urged the Centre to enhance the number of beneficiaries in the state under National Food Security Act (NFSA).
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said for implementation of the NFSA, 2013, Odisha was given a target of 3,26,41,800 beneficiaries, which was 78 percent of the 2011 Census population of 4,19,74,218.
Stating that the state government has been providing ration to the beneficiaries regularly, having successfully implemented the programme and performed well on most parameters, the chief minister said the rate of growth of population in Odisha was 14 percent in the last decade as per 2011 Census.
Naveen, however, said if this date is extrapolated, the population of Odisha had increased by 10.22 percent in 2018 as compared to 2011. On the basis of the extrapolation, it is estimated that the total population of Odisha in 2018 would be 4,62,63,983. “Allowing the same percentage of coverage as was decided when the Act came into force, we are entitled provide benefits to 3,60,85,907 beneficiaries under NFSA,” he pointed out.
In view of the foregoing, the chief minister requested the Prime Minister that an additional 34.44 lakh beneficiaries may be sanctioned for Odisha to ensure food security to all eligible persons to serve the objective of the Act.
“Besides, I would also suggest that a mechanism may be put in place wherein the target is modified at regular intervals to increase the coverage of the beneficiaries in accordance with the increase in population,” he added.
