Orissa HC Dissatisfied over Food Security

Cuttack (Reporters Today Bureau): The Orissa High Court has expressed dissatisfaction over the State government’s claim that it has already covered 80 per cent of  population under the targeted public distribution system.

The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray said, “It is not sufficient to state that the government has already covered 80 pc of the population under the PDS. There cannot be any persons belonging to vulnerable categories in Odisha who are left out of either the NFSA or the State Food Security Scheme. A constant endeavour must be made to increase the coverage with every passing month.”

The direction came while hearing social activist Prafulla Samantara’s PIL seeking special intervention by way of food security measures and foodgrains to non-ration card holders in view of Corona pandemic. Arguing his case, advocate Ishwar Mohanty said a large number of people are still left out from the ambit of either the NFSA or SFSS.