Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has sought more than Rs 10,000 crore from the Centre towards food subsidy bill of the state to tide over financial constraints.
In a letter to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation, the agency for procurement of paddy for the government, is yet to receive Rs 7,931.90 crore towards provisional subsidy and advance subsidy of Rs 2,402.19 crore taking the total subsidy claim to Rs 10,334 crore by the end of April, 2022.
“The additional interest incurred till March 31, 2022 because of delay in release and short release of subsidy comes to around Rs 5,454.67 crore which remains unrecouped. The Centre should pay the interest component failing which the State will bear the additional cost,” TNIE quoted Swain as saying in the letter.
Expressing concern over delay in release of food subsidy and non-evacuation of surplus rice from the state, Swain requested the Union Minister to resolve the issues urgently.
In the 2021-22 kharif season, the state’s rice consumption will be about 39 lakh tonne out of total procurement of 52 lakh tonne, leaving a surplus of 13 lakh tonne. Swain requested for immediate lifting of the surplus rice for smooth procurement operation.
Besides, the government has taken steps to deliver five lakh tonne of fortified parboiled rice to FCI as per the target set by Department of Food and Public Distribution in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, he added.
