Argus News - Breaking News: Odisha Heavily Relies on other States for Food Commodity, Says Food Supplies Minister in Assembly

Bhubaneswar, Mar 11: Food Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, in the Assembly, revealed that Odisha’s food supply chain continues to rely heavily on other states for essential commodities.

“Odisha depends on West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh for potatoes, while onions are sourced from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, and West Bengal,” Patra informed the House in a written reply.  

“Wheat supplies come from Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar. Pulses and pulse-based crops are imported from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal,” he said further.

Also read: Coal Ban May Ease, Induction Cookers Demand Soars as Odisha Battles Gas Shortage

He also revealed that sugar is supplied from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, while salt comes from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. “Odisha requires 2.08 lakh metric tonnes of salt annually,” the Food Supplies Minister informed the Assembly.

Rice ATMs to Expand Across Districts

The state government is set to expand its innovative “Rice ATM” initiative. “After the first ATM opened in Bhubaneswar’s Mancheswar in July 2024, four more districts — Jharsuguda, Nabarangpur, Keonjhar, and Dhenkanal — will soon have one ATM each,” said Minister Patra, responding to MLA Goutam Buddha Das’ question.  

“Since its launch, 20,217 ration card holders have withdrawn 3,805 quintals of rice from the Bhubaneswar ATM,” Patra informed the house.

Weighing Scale Frauds

The Assembly also highlighted consumer protection concerns. “In the past three years, 109 cases of fraud in weighing and measurement were detected at petrol pumps and jewellery shops. Over ₹13 lakh in fines were collected from petrol pump violations, while jewellery shops accounted for 16 cases, with penalties exceeding ₹2.5 lakh,” revealed Patra.

Sharecroppers Data Released

Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo informed the Assembly that Odisha has 9,05,184 sharecroppers across 30 districts. “Balasore tops the list with 1,08,821 sharecroppers, followed by Bhadrak with 65,946, Cuttack with 55,569, and Puri with 40,000,” stated Singh Deo.