Bhubaneswar, Oct 1: Yesterday the Odisha Food Supplies Minister, Sanjay Dasburma met the Union Food minister Ram Vilas Paswan urging him to increase the Central allocation of rice meant for SC-ST hostels in the State. He said that there are currently 5,47,380 inmates in SC-ST hostels along with 11,775 boarders in welfare institutions for which 8,387.32 tonnes of rice is needed each month but the Centre is only providing 803.52 tonnes of rice per month. Thus, he urged the central government to provide for the shortfall of 7,583 tonnes of rice.
Dasburma further informed that the Union minister has said that more rice can be provided to the State after utilization certificates which provides exact details of beneficiaries in hostels and welfare institutions are received. Moreover, Dasburma also requested the Centre to release the required and stipulated rice to Odisha under the NFSA.
