GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today launched the first phase of distributing new ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) across 49 new legislative assembly constituencies at an event held at the Sarusajai Sports Complex. During the event, the CM distributed ration cards to 14,328 beneficiaries from 4,535 families in the 36 Guwahati Central LAC and to 16,411 beneficiaries from 4,759 families in the 37 Jalukbari LAC.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister highlighted the steadfast commitment of the current state government to ensuring that the needy have regular access to rice. He noted that the NFSA was implemented in Assam in December 2015, with the aim of safeguarding the nutritional needs of approximately 2.51 crore beneficiaries. He emphasized that 85% of rural residents and 60% of urban inhabitants should be entitled to ration cards. He said that, following the linking of ration cards with Aadhaar, an additional 60 lakh cards have been issued, thus facilitating the distribution of free rice via biometric verification. He commended the successful implementation of the “One Nation, One Ration Card” scheme, which has been in place for the past three years, allowing beneficiaries to access provisions from anywhere in the country. He clarified that ration cards must be collected between the 1st and 10th of each month and reassured the public that no fraudulent claims would be entertained, as the government has made substantial efforts to ensure that deserving families receive their entitlements.
The CM shared that in the 2023-24 fiscal year, 4,285,745 new beneficiaries have been included, with 1,073,489 new families receiving ration cards in January alone, benefitting more than 52 lakh people. He explained that the state Cabinet had made a decision to issue 20 lakh new ration cards, which were distributed equitably across constituencies to ensure no one was excluded. He added that starting today, 7 lakh individuals in 49 constituencies would receive new ration cards, thereby securing 35 lakh kilograms of rice for the needy. Moreover, he noted that 19,92,167 individuals would receive their ration cards within the month across the remaining 76 constituencies.
Turning his attention to healthcare, the Chief Minister said that families holding ration cards would be eligible for free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh at government hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat and Ayushman Assam schemes. He further stated that even those without health cards could access healthcare by simply presenting their ration cards at hospitals. Additionally, ration cardholders would be able to access cooking gas through the Ujjwala scheme. He mentioned that the state government has taken steps to select beneficiaries for the Orunodoi scheme through a selection process, which will run until December 28. To prevent fraudulent claims, the Orunodoi scheme would be linked with ration cards. This selection would take place through village meetings, with previous beneficiaries needing to re-register their names in these meetings to continue receiving benefits. He emphasized that possession of a ration card is a prerequisite for receiving benefits under Orunodoi.
The CM elaborated on the expansion of the Orunodoi scheme, explaining that each constituency previously had 22,000 beneficiaries, but this number would now increase by an additional 8,000 to 10,000 families per constituency. While 27 lakh people had benefited from Orunodoi in the past, approximately 40 lakh families are now expected to gain from it. He urged people to participate in the village-level meetings to ensure their inclusion in the scheme. He also addressed the past exclusion of certain groups—such as master roll employees, daily-wage labourers, retired fourth-grade government employees of both the Central and State Governments, and retired contractual workers—assuring them that they would now be included in the ration card distribution. He mentioned that the Orunodoi, Ayushman Bharat, and Ayushman Assam schemes, along with other provisions, would be extended to those in old age homes, orphanages, and to mothers and children in need, a press release said.
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