By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, October 2, 2015 : Odisha on Friday launched the National Food Security Act (NFSA) with the distribution of digital ration cards in 14 districts in the first phase.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the programme at a state-level function organised here at to distribute the new digitised ration cards to beneficiaries. Ministers distributed the cards at district-level.

“The much-awaited National Food Security Act (NFSA) is going to be implemented today. Minister will distribute ration cards to beneficiaries in 14 districts today,” Minister Sanjay Das Burma said in a press statement.
Of the 5, 15, 118 beneficiaries in Malkangiri, 4.91 lakh digitised ration cards will be distributed in the first phase. As many as 93.35 lakh beneficiaries of 26.33 lakh families will be brought under NFSA in the first phase across the state.

The state government aims to complete distribution of new ration cards at the panchayat level in the 14 districts of Kandhamal, Angul, Sonepur, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Koraput, Boudh and Deogarh by October 8.

The beneficiaries in the remaining 16 districts will be covered under the scheme in the second phase by October 26. The distribution on new cards in second phase will begin from October 16, officials said.
Some 3.26 crore beneficiaries will be eligible to avail the subsidised food grains under this scheme. The card holders will get 5 kg rice and wheat at Rs 3 and Rs 2 a kilo respectively every month, officials said.