By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, January 16, 2016 : The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the state government over massive irregularities in distribution of ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and demanded cancellation of the existing list of beneficiaries indentified under the Act.

The newly elected Odisha state BJP president Basanta Panda on Saturday said the existing list was flawed and all ruling Biju Janata Dal workers, government employees and affluent people have taken advantage from the Ac leaving out thousands of poor people.

He said it should prepare a fresh list where not a single eligible beneficiary family should be left out.

The state government missed the deadline of NFSA implementation and took additional time till 2015 and even after taking additional time, it is now found out that eligible beneficiaries have been left out and party members of BJD have illegally got the ration cards issued in their own names.

“MLAs (legislators), mayors and Zilla Parishad office bearers have all availed cards in their names fraudulently,” he accused.

He also said no action has been initiated against the offenders and demanded the immediate arrest of all those involved in this fraud.

“The party has decided to launch mass protests across the state till the time all eligible beneficiaries are given ration cards under NFSA and proper management of the whole process of distribution is ensured,” said Panda, holding his first press conference after assuming charge as state BJP president.

Alleging that the Naveen Patnaik government was adept at re-packaging the Central programmes and schemes as its own ones, – the BJP president said although the subsidized rice scheme was central programme, the BJD was claiming it to be own scheme for the poor.

“The Centre procures rice at Rs 30.38 per kg and gives Rs 27.38 subsidy on it to be provided to the poor under Targeted Public Distribution System. The BJD government which is giving just Rs 2 subsidy on the same rice, claims that it is providing rice to the poor at Rs One,” said Mr Panda.

The BJP president launched a poster campaign to awaken the public about the subsidy given by the BJP government at the Centre. The poster makes a graphic presentation of the subsidy shares of the Centre and Odisha government in the TPDS rice.

“Through our 40 lakh members, we will campaign in fifty thousand villages across the state and make the people aware how the Naveen Patnaik government is cheating them by claiming that the rice given to them at Re One is its own scheme,” he observed.

Describing the allegations of BJP as baseless, state Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Sanjay Dasburma said the Centre has praised the state government for proper implementation of NFSA.