Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Friday that over 2.7 million poor families in 11 districts will receive an additional 5 kg of free rice per month for the next three months. This is in addition to the rice already being supplied under the Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
Speaking at a function, Majhi said the government would spend ₹180 crore to distribute 41,082 tonnes of additional rice. The eligible families are located in eight KBK (Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi) districts, including Boudh, Gajapati, and Kandhamal.
The announcement comes after the state government’s decision in July to suspend ration distribution for 2.058 million beneficiaries who had not completed the mandatory e-KYC for their ration cards. At that time, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushnachandra Patra had given beneficiaries three months to complete the process or face permanent cancellation.
Officials noted that the decision to distribute the additional rice would also help ease pressure on the state’s godowns, which are currently holding a surplus of parboiled rice. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has not been lifting parboiled rice from Odisha, and other states like Bihar, West Bengal, and Jharkhand have also not shown interest in taking the surplus. As of the end of July, the FCI had lifted only 14.33 lakh tonnes, leaving a stockpile of nearly 12 lakh tonnes with the rice millers.