Bhubaneswar: From this upcoming Thursday, the distribution of ration cards will begin in the state. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will start the distribution process from Puri. In the subsequent phase, ration cards will be distributed to eligible beneficiaries at the block level. In the first phase, a total of 590,000 eligible beneficiaries will receive new cards. Over the past three years, since 2022, 900,000 people have applied for ration cards. According to the Food Security Scheme, 590,000 eligible beneficiaries have been identified for the first phase. In the next phase, applications from the remaining 310,000 individuals will be verified. Today, the Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister, Krishna Chandra Patra, shared this information with the media.
The Minister has already sent a letter to district collectors to prepare for the distribution of the new ration cards. The distribution process will start soon, and the first phase will begin in Dhenkanal. However, today, Minister Patra changed his previous statement and mentioned that the ration card distribution will begin in Puri, not Dhenkanal. Patra himself, who is the elected representative from Dhenkanal, had initially suggested starting the process in his district, but it will now commence from Puri.
On the other hand, Minister Patra has frequently changed his statements in the media. He had previously made contradictory statements regarding the shipment of 20,000 quintals of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh to Odisha. He had said that the potatoes would arrive in Odisha very soon, but they did not arrive as expected. His statements have led to some confusion and laughter among the public through social media platforms. There has been growing skepticism about the ration card distribution and its implementation, as the Minister’s remarks have raised doubts among the public.