In his latest pre-poll bonanza for the poor, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has decided to provide 25 kg of rice a month to all the families living Below the Poverty Line (BPL) at Rs 2 per kg. At a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on Monday it was decided that the sops would be effective from August 1, 2008. The total number of beneficiaries will be in excess of 55 lakh, including 44 lakh BPL families, 5.5 lakh urban-poor families and over five lakh families living Above the Poverty Line (APL) in the backward Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput (KBK) region. Beneficiaries of Antyodaya scheme, who get 35 kg rice every month at Rs 3 per kg, would also be provided 25 kg of rice out of their quota at Rs 2 per kg. All tribal hostels will also be given rice at Rs 2 per kg. "We hope this decision will provide relief to all BPL families which are severely affected by high price rise,' Patnaik told the media after the meeting. In April this year, Naveen had announced a series of sops for field-level forest officials by extending insurance cover to those deployed in the Naxalite-infested regions. Field-level forest officials would also be eligible for the benefits on par with police personnel such as compassionate grant in case of death or injury, special pension and special family pensions. In March, he accorded Junior Class-1 officer status to doctors at entry level and increased the scale of those joining the Orissa Medical Services cadre from Rs. 6,500-10,500 to Rs 8,000-13,500. Besides, he announced a Rs 3,000 special allowance for doctors holding specialist position and Rs 500 allowance per every post-mortem.