Odisha Ensures Timely PDS Rice Supply After Tragic Incident

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department to distribute three months of rice in advance to Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries. This decision follows a tragic incident involving two deaths due to food shortage, prompting urgent corrective actions.

The Odisha Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, has ordered the state's Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department to advance the distribution of three months of rice to the beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS), as stated in an official release from the chief minister's office.

This directive was prompted by a recent tragedy in Mandipanka village, Kandhamal district, where two women died and six others took ill after consuming mango kernel gruel, allegedly due to a lack of foodgrains. Majhi's intervention highlights the government's responsive measures following this crisis.

To mitigate the situation, each beneficiary of the National Food Security Act and the State Food Security Scheme will receive 15 kg of rice for the next three months. Additionally, efforts are underway to include all e-Shramik registered workers in PDS, addressing gaps identified in the current system.

(With inputs from agencies.)