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Journalism of Courage
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday announced that the state government will implement its own food security scheme to cover an additional 34 lakh people, who have been allegedly left out from the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. The scheme will be implemented across the state on October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Patnaik said in a video message. He said that no poor person would be deprived of their rights once the new food Act is implemented.
He emphasised that a new food Act is required in the state as NFSA was based on the 2011 Census, and the number of beneficiaries has increased in 2018. Patnaik said although he had taken up the matter with the Centre, no step was taken to address this concern. In May, Patnaik had written to the Prime Minister requesting him to increase the number of beneficiaries under NFSA, 2013.
Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik has called the new Act a political move. Claiming that the inclusion-exclusion criteria are submitted by the state government, BJP state vice-president Samir Mohanty said, “If there are 34 lakh eligible beneficiaries who were not covered (under NFSA), the state government should first explain why they were excluded. Did the government remember all this just before the election?” The BJP also questioned development work under the BJD.
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