Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday urged the Centre to take immediate steps for the release of pending food subsidy of Rs 10,334.09 crore.
Odisha Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Minister, Ranendra Pratap Swain, today wrote a letter to Piyush Goyal, Union Minister, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution requesting him to resolve issues regarding release of subsidy, evacuation of surplus rice, lifting of wheat from FCI and allocation of 100 percent rice under public distribution system.
In his letter, Minister Swain raised concern over delayed release of food subsidy by Government of India. As per MoU with Govt. of India, there has to be zero financial liability on the State Procuring Agency with regard to permissible items of cost for procurement of rice to be borne by Government of India. Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation, the major procuring agency of the State Government is to receive Rs.7931.90 crore as provisional subsidy and advance subsidy of Rs.2402.19 crore with the total subsidy claim standing at about Rs.10334 crore by the end of April, 2022.
The additional interest incurred till 31.3.2022 because of delay in release and short release of subsidy comes to around Rs.5454.67 crore which remains unrecouped and should be paid by Government of India, wrote Minister Swain.
In the ensuing Kharif Marketing Season 2021-22, out of 52 lakh MT of estimated procurement of rice, Odisha’s own consumption is about 39 lakh MT under PDS and other welfare schemes and the State is likely to have a surplus of 13 lakhs MT of rice which should be lifted immediately for smooth procurement operation. In addition to this the State Government has taken all necessary steps to deliver 5 lakh MT of fortified parboiled rice to FCI as per target given by Department of Food and Public Distribution, Govt. of India. The State is in a position to deliver higher quantity of fortified parboiled rice and DFPD has been requested to give additional target of fortified parboiled rice during KMS 2021-22.
Swain also requested to make available the required wheat stocks for Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh districts at FCI Depot at Jagatpur, Cuttack.
Besides, Minister Swain also requested for allocation of 100% rice to Odisha under NFSA/PMGKAY for distribution to the beneficiaries as being done in case of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Goa and Telangana.
In his letter, Swain requested Goyal for personal intervention in the matter for early resolution of the aforesaid issues.
