Odisha Orders Fast-Track NFBS Payments for BPL Families

18 May 2026, 07:43 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

Odisha’s government recently rolled out detailed new rules to make the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) work better. The NFBS is a key welfare program that gives a one-time payout of ₹20,000 to below-poverty-line families upon the demise of the main wage earner. Lately, tons of applications have just been sitting around unresolved, so the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) decided to overhaul how people apply and how those applications get checked online. District collectors now have clear orders to get these applications verified and sorted quickly, as required by the Odisha Right to Public Services Act (ORTPSA), 2012, as reported by The New Indian Express.

With these updates, anyone applying online through the official SSEPD portal has to upload five specific documents: a proper death certificate, an income certificate that shows the family earns ₹1 lakh or less per year, an age proof or their Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), their Aadhaar card, and bank account details linked to Aadhaar, along with the first page of their bank passbook.

In rural areas, Block Social Security Officers (BSSOs) now have 15 days to verify everything on the ground and check the paperwork. If something’s wrong or missing, the BSSO has to get in touch with the applicant and help fix it, still within those 15 days. On the 16th day, whether everything’s sorted or not, they need to forward the application to the Block Development Officer (BDO), who then has until the 20th day to approve or reject the claim.

In the Urban areas, Municipal Commissioners or Executive Officers handle the entire process—verification, corrections, and final decision—all within 20 days tops. Once the claim is approved, the payment must be processed within the next seven days. The department made it clear that if anyone falls behind on these deadlines or ignores the rules, they’ll face immediate disciplinary action under the ORTPSA Act, 2012.