Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday directed the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department to revamp the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation limited in view of its extended work responsibility.
“The paddy procurement work is mainly being undertaken by the OSCSC. Hence, the corporation started keeping PDS need in view has now more resposnsibility to discharge and hence should be reformed,” the Chief Minister said while reviewing the department’s performance for the last year. He directed to form a committee headed by the Development Commissioner for the purpose,
It was revealed at the meeting that Odisha has emerged as the fourth largest State in paddy procurement after Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. “A total of 3.15 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured by June 10 and a total of rs2,574 crore given to farmers against the same,” an official release said.
The Chief Minister directed the department to plan for putting in place Paddy-Procurement Automation System (PAS) at each mandi in all 314 blocks by the year 2017-18. Now, the PAS is working in 60 mandis and it has been targeted that the system would be put in place in 100 more mandis by end of this year.
Patnaik stressed on striking out of undeserving beneficiaries from the list of the National Food Security Act and early distribution of ration cards among the deserving consumers. He also wanted third party audit in the PDS system.
These apart, the Chief Minister also emphasised on making the enforcement system to check black marketing of essential commodities more active. Among others, FS&CW Minister Sanjay Dasburma, Chief Secretary GC Pati and Development Commissioner UN Behera were present.