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New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Ration cards of foreigners to be cancelled: Odisha minister Krushna Chandra Patra
BHUBANESWAR : As the government has started verification of foreign nationals living in the state in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Food Supplies minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Monday said most of them have been found to possess ration cards and action is being taken to cancel them. Patra told mediapersons here that a majority of the foreign nationals including Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and a few Myanmarese residing in the state have obtained ration cards by influencing local politicians or adopting other illegal means. This has been confirmed during the ongoing verification. Describing it as a serious matter, the minister said instructions have been issued to department authorities to work in coordination with district administrations to find ration cards in possession of foreign nationals and take prompt action to remove them from the NFSA and SFSS database. He said district administrations have been instructed to intensify the verification drive by collecting information from panchayat representatives, local authorities, community members and elected representatives. Verification of documents including voter ID and Aadhaar card is being carried out rigorously to ensure that only legitimate citizens of the state are part of the food security system. The minister said the state government is taking all necessary steps to ensure that the welfare programmes are exclusively available to legitimate citizens. The state will continue to monitor the situation closely and take steps to maintain the sanctity of public distribution system and other government schemes. Action will be taken against those who have assisted the foreign nationals in obtaining ration cards, Patra said. In a separate interaction with reporters, Panchayati Raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik said the state government has taken action to identify Pakistani nationals living in the state with extended visas or without valid documents following directives from the Union Home Ministry for their deportation. Efforts are also underway to identify Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals residing in the state without valid visas. Their Aadhaar cards and voter IDs are being verified. He said a list of these individuals will be prepared and sent to the Home department for deportation.
New Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Fate of eight lakh ration card applicants uncertain as Odisha begins fresh distribution
BHUBANESWAR: Even as the state government has started distribution of ration cards to 5.90 lakh beneficiaries after a fresh survey, the fate of nearly eight lakh applicants hangs in balance as they are yet to receive any clarity on their application status. The state government had received around 13.86 lakh applications - both via online and offline mode - after its decision to cover all left-out eligible persons under the food security schemes of the central and state governments. After a field-level verification, the government announced the selection of 5.90 lakh new beneficiaries who will be covered under the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS). However, in absence of any communication from the authorities concerned, fate of the remaining around 7.96 lakh applicants is still in the dark. While PDS dealers supplying free rations are their only point of contact to know whether their applications have been selected or rejected, the former too, are clueless. Sameet Panda, convenor of Odisha Khadya Adhikar Abhijan said inclusion and exclusion under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and SFSS is based on the criteria set by the government in 2014. 'However, things have changed a lot in the last 10 years and the government needs to revisit the criteria for selection of beneficiaries. No one is sure if the remaining applications are pending for accommodation in the future or they have been rejected as the government is not putting anything in the public domain,' he added. Panda further said that the state government has the opportunity and resources to cover all eligible persons under SFSS as NFSA quota has been exhausted after shifting for over 5.88 lakh beneficiaries from state food scheme list to NFSA list. 'After the Centre's decision to provide food grains free of cost from January 2024, the state government will save approximately Rs 600 crore annually as the subsidy burden of Rs 2 per kilogram of rice of the state is being taken care by the Centre. This amount could be utilised to accommodate all eligible left out persons under the state scheme,' he added. The previous BJD government had launched SFSS in 2018 to cover 25 lakh individuals who were eligible but could not be covered under NFSA as the central quota was fixed for 3.26 crore people. Now only 1.33 lakh ration cards covering 4.20 lakh persons are under SFSS. With no vacancies under NFSA, those who had applied under the central food security programme a year ago are not sure if they will get the new ration cards, said an officer of the Civil Supplies department.
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
CM to launch new ration cards in Puri on Thursday
BHUBANESWAR: The state government will start distribution of ration cards to new beneficiaries of National Food Security Act (NFSA) and State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) from April 24 (Thursday). Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will launch the distribution at a state-level function to celebrate the Panchayati Raj Diwas in Puri on the day. He will give away the new ration cards to few beneficiaries in the presence of all members of his council of ministers, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra told mediapersons here on Tuesday. Patra said around 5.9 lakh beneficiaries have become eligible after survey and eKYC verification. The new cards will be distributed in phases at block, municipality and NAC level. The department has already instructed all block development officers, municipal commissioners and executive officers to prepare coloured ration cards with lamination. The minister said as many as 25 lakh beneficiaries still have not updated their eKYC. Officials concerned have been asked to conduct field verification to know the status of the beneficiaries and submit reports to the department based on which the final list will be prepared. 'The last date of eKYC verification of existing beneficiaries was March 31, 2025. However, we have not closed the verification option. The government is committed to ensuring that not a single eligible person is deprived of free ration,' Patra said. The CM will also disburse the sixth phase of Subhadra Yojana and launch the block-level stadium project by virtually laying the foundation stones for a few blocks in Puri. The state government has approved an outlay of `4,124 crore for construction of stadiums in all blocks over a period of five years.
