CM Naveen Patnaik writes to PM, asks Centre to share NPR data for Food Security Act implementation [Odisha Sun Times]

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share the National Population Register (NPR) data base with the state government for implementation of National Food Security Act (FSA), 2013 in the state.

The Registrar General of India (RGI) has been requested on several occasions to share the digital NPR database of  the remaining 29 districts of Odisha. The matter has also been taken up with the Union Home secretary and Home Minister. I had also personally written to Dr Manmohan Singh to intervene in the matter in April, 2013. I would request you to intervene in the matter immediately for enabling Odisha to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013 at an early date,” said Patnaik in a letter to prime minister Modi.

So far, the RGI has shared the data of only Khurdha district in August 2013.

Informing that there are large inclusion and exclusion errors in the existing ration cards, the chief minister said the government has decided to digitalise the list of beneficiaries for the NFS Act on the basis of NPR created at the time of 2011 Census as it is a near complete database of all the people in the country.

The RGI and Census Commission of India are the custodians of the database. The Odisha government has inked an MoU with the RGI for sharing the NPR database in March 2013.

Expediting the process of implementation of the Act, the government has given its nod to eight exclusion criteria for identification of beneficiaries who  will avail subsidised food grains.

The eight exclusion criteria covers monthly income, income tax payees, persons having four wheelers or 2 nos of three wheelers, business with TIN number, electric consumption above 300 units, any state Government or Central Government employee, persons owning tractors, power-tillers, fishing boats or other heavy vehicles, persons into entrepreneurship, professional tax payees etc.

Based on the criteria, the government has decided to delete all bogus ration card holders and APLs counted as BPLs, due to erroneous registrations, to facilitate streamlining of the process for implementation of the Food Security Act in the state.