Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Surjya Narayan Patro here on Tuesday said a Global Positioning System (GPS) would be introduced in State soon to check pilferage of PDS rice during transportation.
The Minister said this to mediaperson after conducting review meeting with Government officials. He informed that the system has already been experimented in Dhenkanal district. He further informed that he has written to Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to raise the PDS quota for Odisha in view of rising population. While the quota was determined as per 2011 Census, now the State’s population has increased by 7 per cent, he said and added that he would place the demand again during his New Delhi visit on Saturday.
While 39,501excess NFSA card had been issued in Balangir district, a fine of Rs 4, 20, 61,904 collected from 12,562 ineligible beneficiaries. Of this, Rs 3,37,35,379 has been returned to 8,887 beneficiaries, informed District Civil Supply Officer Ranjan Seth.