The Odisha Food and Supplies Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain on Monday demanded allocation of 100 per cent rice to Odisha under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Swain wrote a letter to Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal stating that Odisha should be allocated 100 per cent rice against the current 86 per cent.
“As you are aware, Odisha is predominantly a rice consuming State. The imposition of wheat allocation to the State seems arbitrary and causing dissatisfaction among the beneficiaries," he said.
Swain further said, “Moreover, the allocation of 14% wheat to Odisha in the absence of wheat flour milling units in rural areas is supplementing to the difficulties of the beneficiaries in remote areas and also not fulfilling the mandate of food security.”
Swain cited examples of other states like Assam. Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Goa and Telengana which are being allocated 100 per cent rice and wheat consuming States like Punjab and Rajasthan which are being allocated 100 per cent wheat, and urged, “I would request you to consider allocation of 100% rice entitlement as being allocated to the above States against the total monthly requirement of food grains under NFSA.”
It is pertinent to mention here that Odisha is getting rice and wheat at a ratio of 86 per cent and 14 per cent respectively against its total monthly requirement of foodgrains under the National Food Security Act.