Rs. 247 cr spent for jute bags before polls: Patra

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Wednesday informed the Assembly that the State government had spent Rs 247.36 crore on distributing empty jute bags to ration card holders across the State in preparation for the 2024 general elections.

In response to a query from Jagatsinghpur MLA Amarendra Das, Patra said jute bags, emblazoned with the 5T (Transformative Initiative) logo and the slogan ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha,’ were distributed in all 147 Assembly constituencies.

Additionally, the government provided Rs 1,000 in cash to each family covered under the public distribution system (PDS), totaling Rs 959.05 crore in assistance. Patra acknowledged that there is no provision to aid those who did not receive the benefits.

Outside the Assembly, Patra assured that the government would investigate the distribution of the jute bags and take action if any irregularities were found. He also announced that Aadhaar and biometric-based e-KYC (Know Your Customer) verification for NFSA beneficiaries began on August 22 and will continue until the entire State is covered.

To date, 44.33 lakh ration cards have undergone e-KYC verification, and ineligible beneficiaries, including those who have passed away, will be removed from the list. The minister said that new ration cards would be issued to applicants by the end of September after completing the verification process.