**Bhubaneswar: ** On the occasion of 150th Gandhi Jayanti, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched State’s own Food Security Scheme through video conferencing at State Secretariat here today.
Launching the much-sought after State’s own scheme, the CM in his address said, “I’m immensely happy to launch today the State Government’s Food Security Scheme on the auspicious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti being celebrated worldwide.”
“The State Government has been providing Rs 2 per kg rice to the poor since 2008 and Re 1 per kg rice since 2013. During 2014 poll, we had promised to implement our own State’s Food Security Scheme. Today we have kept our promise. Hence, I feel very glad. 25 lakh poor people of our State will be benefited now from this scheme. Each of them will get rice at Re 1 per kg. Food Security is your right. Our Government will provide Food Security to all the poor,” the Odisha CM vowed.
He added, “The National Food Security Act was implemented in the State in 2014. But lots of people were deprived of it. For this reason, I have requested the Central Government umpteen times. Whenever I’ve met the common men, they used air their grievances in this regard. Today I’ve kept my promise given to those poor people. It gives me immense pleasure.”
“Funds will never be a constraint for the service to the poor. It is your money, of the people of Odisha and being spent on your developmental work. I won’t let a single poor person to be deprived of Food Security. I seek your cooperation for the successful implementation of this programme,” stated the Odisha Chief Minister.
After his key note address, the Chief Minister interacted with the people of 4 districts via video conferencing from State Secretariat here. He spoke to the people of Bangamunda Block in Balangir district, Rajgangpur Block in Sundargarh district, Khunta Block in Mayurbhanj district and Jaleswar Block in Balasore district.
