Odisha Govt to Distribute 2 Jute Carry Bags, Rs 1000 Livelihood Assistance to PDS Beneficiary Family

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has decided to distribute two jute carry bags and Rs 1,000 livelihood assistance to each beneficiary family under the Public Distribution System (PDS).

A proposal in this regard has received the approval at the State Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

After ensuring food and nutritional security of 95,90,526 families comprising of 3,35,98,401 members covered under the Public Distribution System (PDS), the State Government felt it expedient to extend further support to these beneficiary families for their ease of living in day to day life. Since these families find it difficult to arrange appropriate sized carry bags at affordable prices for collection of their PDS foodgrain entitlements from the Fair Price Shop as well as for their daily use, State Government have decided to provide two numbers of jute carry bags of 20 kilogram and 10 kilogram capacity to each of the 95,90,526 PDS families for their daily use, free of cost.

It is also observed that due to the rise in the market prices of other essential commodities, these PDS beneficiary families face hardship to fetch the same for consumption. State Government have decided to support such families by providing one-time livelihood assistance of Rs.1000 in shape of cash, to each of the 95,90,526 PDS families, according to an official press release.

The fund requirement for procurement and distribution of 1,91,81,052 numbers of jute carry bags will come Rs. 278.69 crore and for one-time livelihood assistance of Rs. 1000/- per family in shapeof cash will come to Rs. 959.05 crore, totalling to 1,237.74 crore which will be borne out of the State budget.