The state government's decision to distribute new ration cards to nearly six lakh beneficiaries and hold melas and involve MLAs and MPs has triggered a controversy.
The Opposition has accused the Mohan Charan Majhi-led government of using the exercise for political mileage ahead of the elections, claiming the method undermines the intended purpose of welfare delivery.
District collectors have been directed to prepare the new ration cards by April 22 and organise distribution through public functions. Critics argue the prominent role of ruling party legislators and MPs in these functions could give the BJP-led state government an undue electoral advantage.
Food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra confirmed the plan and said the initiative would be formally launched from Dhenkanal — his home district. “Around 5.9 lakh new ration card holders will receive the cards. We have sought an appointment with the chief minister for the launch. Similar functions will be held across districts,” Patra said.
He added, “Poor families who haven’t applied yet can still do so. The online portal is open for applications.” Patra also stated that beneficiaries failing to complete their e-KYC would be removed from the list. “Nearly 25 lakh beneficiaries are yet to submit their e-KYC details. We have asked district collectors to conduct a field survey,” he said.
So far, the state has deleted around 3.92 lakh ration cards of deceased beneficiaries and removed 22,143 ineligible ration cardholders. Odisha currently has nearly 92 lakh ration card holders under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS).
Senior BJD MLA and former minister Prasanna Acharya said, “It seems the government is engaging in petty politics. Ration cards should not be distributed along party lines. Doing so will defeat the entire purpose of the welfare scheme.”
Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, “No new ration cards have been distributed since 2022. Names of many eligible beneficiaries were removed from the list. We will expose the irregularities with evidence once the distribution begins.”
A government letter detailing the exercise stated: “Government has approved the distribution of new ration cards to eligible applicants and the addition of new members to existing cards after field verification against the eligibility criteria set out in the Odisha State Food Security (Targeted Public Distribution System) Rules, 2020.”
Block development officers (BDOs), municipal commissioners and executive officers have been instructed to transfer eligible applicants from the Draft Priority List (DPL) to the Final Priority List (FPL) in the Ration Card Management System (RCMS), subject to e-KYC verification of all household members.
“All coloured ration card PDFs (both sides) will be generated, printed and laminated by April 20, 2025,” the letter said.
As per the guidelines, laminated ration cards will be stored at the respective block or urban local body (ULB) offices and distributed through public functions organised by district collectors. “All preparations, including printing and lamination, must be completed by April 22, 2025, for the formal launch. The date and venue of the distribution events will be announced soon,” the notification said.