Odisha to Provide Additional 5 kg Rice Under PDS from November
16-Oct-2025 12:05 PM
Bhubaneswar: Considering the surplus availability of rice in the state, the Odisha government is planning to increase the per-person rice allocation under the Public Distribution System (PDS) from 5 kg to 10 kg starting in November.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra stated that the department will send this proposal for approval to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Beneficiaries had complained that 5 kg of rice per month was insufficient to meet their household needs.
Earlier, from August to October, the government had already provided an additional 5 kg of rice under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to 2.7 million poor families across 11 districts. This benefit was extended to beneficiaries in eight KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) region districts, as well as in Boudh, Kandhamal, and Gajapati districts.
The state government bore an expenditure of ₹180 crore for this additional distribution. Now, it is considering extending this benefit to all ration card holders across Odisha.
Patra also mentioned that starting in November, rice supply to 1.567 million ration card holders will be stopped because they have not completed their e-KYC verification. The state currently has a rice stock of over 1.2 million tonnes and has requested the central government to lift the stock, but no response has been received yet.