Bhubaneswar, Dec. 11: The Congress today staged a state-wide agitation by gheraoing all the 6,234 gram panchayats and 103 urban local bodies of Odisha, including Bhuba- neswar Municipal Corporation, accusing the government of depriving lakhs of eligible beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act.

"Today's agitation was a grand success with around 14 lakh people in rural areas and one lakh people in urban local bodies taking part in the gherao programme," claimed Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan.

Stating that today's agitation was a reminder to the government, Harichandan threatened to intensify the agitation if the government did not include all the deprived and eligible beneficiaries in the food security programme.

The Congress leaders said that the Food Security Act, which came into force in July 2013 across the country, was implemented in Odisha after two years. "But, the delayed implementation also came up with several flaws, depriving lakhs of poor people. While 3.96 crore applicants had applied, ration cards were issued to 3.26 crore people according to the government's own admissions," said another Congress leader.

According to the latest socio-economic census, the monthly income of 88 per cent families in Odisha is less than Rs 5,000, with which they cannot afford to maintain their family. So, these 88 per cent families should first be included in the food security programme, demanded the Congress leaders.

The Congress leader alleged that the final list of beneficiaries was not prepared after scrutiny by gram sabhas/palli sabhas, as was mandatory under the Food Security Act. "In many cases, names of Congress members and their family members were deliberately deleted on political considerations," a senior leader of the party said.