Bhubaneswar, Mar 9: Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, while addressing the Assembly during discussions on the adjournment motion, outlined the sweeping reforms undertaken by the government to strengthen food security across the state.

Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS), the government continues to provide monthly rice quotas to beneficiaries. Recognizing the additional demand during festivals and special occasions, the state has also introduced supplementary rice allocations.

Currently, 98.37 lakh families - comprising over 3.25 crore beneficiaries - are covered under NFSA. Additionally, 2.98 lakh families with 5.62 lakh members benefit from the SFSS. “After this government assumed office, the long‑inactive ration card portal was reopened, enabling fresh applications and corrections,” highlighted Patra.

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“This move has ensured that families unjustly excluded under the previous regime were reinstated, restoring justice to thousands of poor households,” he added.

Since reopening, “17.38 lakh applications” have been received. “Of these, nearly 4.97 lakh applications, representing 9.83 lakh individuals, have already been approved and included in the food security net. Around 8.58 lakh applications were rejected as ineligible, while field verification continues for the remaining cases,” revealed Minister Patra.

He further said, “The government has also identified and removed 7.72 lakh deceased individuals and 1.25 lakh ineligible beneficiaries (including government employees and income tax payers) from the ration card database.” He said that vacant slots are “being filled with new eligible families, saving the state an estimated ₹215 crore annually” by curbing misuse.

To meet seasonal demand, the government has distributed additional fortified rice quotas across districts. “In the first phase, 27.38 lakh families in 11 districts received free extra rice for three months. In the second phase, 70.47 lakh families across 19 districts benefited similarly. In the third phase, 27.34 lakh tribal families in 121 blocks received 10 kg of fortified rice per month for four months,” Patra informed the house, adding: “the total expenditure for these measures stands at ₹1,115.68 crore, fully borne by the state.”

Further, income eligibility limits have been revised to reflect rising wages. “Rural families with monthly incomes up to ₹15,000 and urban families earning up to ₹20,000 are now eligible for ration cards, compared to earlier limits of ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 respectively,” said the Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister.

Patra slammed the previous government, led by BJD, for neglecting the genuine needs of rural households, failing to provide extra rice quotas, and keeping the ration card portal closed for years. “Nearly 10.54 lakh families were arbitrarily deprived of ration cards, affecting over 30 lakh people,” alleged the Minister.

Emphasizing the new government’s clear commitment, he said: “No eligible family will be denied food security.”