Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has officially launched the welfare initiative, Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana(MAY), during an event marking the completion of two years of the state government at the Idco Exhibition Ground in Unit-3, Bhubaneswar.
The program was visioned, planned, and executed by Shri Sanjaya Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of Food, Supplies, Consumer Welfare, and Works, who serves as the architect behind the design and implementation of the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana.
While introducing the program, the Chief Minister stated that the initiative is driven by the vision to ensure that no family in Odisha stays hungry, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no elderly person faces hardships due to a lack of food. He emphasized that the scheme reflects the government’s commitment to public welfare, its sensitivity toward the poor, and its resolve to ensure food security for every household in the state.
Under the guidelines of the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana, all beneficiaries currently covered under the National Food Security Act and the State Food Security Scheme will receive an additional 5 kilograms of rice per person every month completely free of cost. Prior to this launch, beneficiaries were receiving 5 kilograms of free rice. With the implementation of this new program, the total allocation will double, allowing every individual beneficiary to receive 10 kilograms of rice for free.
The scheme is set to benefit approximately 3 crore 28 lakh 52 thousand individuals across 1 crore 96 thousand families, covering around 80 percent of the state’s total population. The Odisha government will incur an annual expenditure of 8,813 crore rupees to fund this initiative. Reflecting on the financial commitment, the Chief Minister noted that the government views this expenditure not as a mere cost, but as a sacred social investment aimed at bringing smiles to the faces of the poor.
During the anniversary celebrations, Chief Minister Majhi also highlighted various other public welfare measures taken by the state government over the past two years. He reiterated that the administration is progressing by following the central government’s guiding principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas to build a prosperous, empowered, and self-reliant Odisha.