Industry Odisha Bureau, April 5: In a significant move for proper management of surplus rice with strengthening food security of poor people in the state, the Odisha Government has decided to distribute additional 5 kg rice to each person covered under Public Distribution System (PDS).
The State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved a new scheme named as ‘Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana’ (MAPY) for this purpose.
Addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister Mohan announced that the scheme will provide additional 5 kg rice to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) for the financial year 2026-27.
Under this initiative, each beneficiary family will receive 5 kg of rice per person per month free of cost, over and above their existing monthly quota distributed through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
Currently, 3,22,89,692 members from 97,97,572 families benefit under NFSA, while 5,62,737 members from 2,98,725 families are covered under SFSS. In total, 3,28,52,429 individuals from 1,96,297 families will now receive the benefits of the MAPY scheme, Majhi said.
The Chief Minister further stated that the scheme will distribute an average of 1.64 lakh metric tonnes of rice monthly, with an estimated expenditure of Rs 734 crore per month and Rs 8,813 crore annually, significantly reinforcing Odisha’s food security framework.
“With the launch of the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana, we aim to ensure that every eligible citizen has access to adequate rice, thereby strengthening our commitment to food security,” Majhi added.
In order to mitigate potential financial losses and ensure effective stock management, the State Cabinet has decided to dispose of 1 Lakh MT of the surplus rice through auction sale in the open market.
The Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) Ltd, the nodal procurement agency, has been authorized to undertake the auction process in accordance with Government guidelines and the pricing methodology followed by FCI.
Any financial loss arising from the auction shall be borne by the State Government, and the proposal has received due approval of the Cabinet, with necessary support to be extended by the Finance, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, and Cooperation Departments.
The Cabinet has also given its nod to the expenditure made on distribution of fortified rice to PDS beneficiaries of different blocks of the State.
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