The public distribution system needs to be modernised and its functioning should be made transparent. Chief Minister Harish Rawat said this after unveiling the foundation stone for the office of the food commissioner at ladpur, Ring Road hereon Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that specialties of local craft should be incorporated in construction of government buildings. He said, “The food and civil supplies department has an important role in the government system. We need to raise public trust in the government system. Attempts should also be made to facilitate portable ration card to enable the beneficiary to purchase ration from any ration shop. The ration card should be used only for ration as nowadays there is Aadhaar card and other options for personal identity. The interests of the silent majority cannot be ignored under pressure from 5-10 per cent people,” he said.
The CM further said that about 62 lakh persons are being covered under the national food security scheme in Uttarakhand where as for the other remaining persons, the State is starting its own food security scheme. He said that the work of digitalisation in national food security scheme has been completed while digitalisation of the State’s food security scheme is in progress. The CM directed the Food department to speed up the work of digitalisation stating that it should be completed in coordination with district magistrates.
The State Food and Civil Supplies minister Pritam Singh said that with construction of the departmental office building, all department officials will be available at one place. Various difficulties are experienced in the ration card work considering the rate at which the people are moving towards cities. Singh said, “The State food security scheme is an ambitious scheme for which the digitalisation work should be done in a proper and timely manner. The district magistrates should also make efforts at their level. The executing agency should attempt to complete construction of the food commissioner building within a year,” said the minister.
Additional secretary, Food, Chandresh Yadav informed that the office building is to be constructed at a cost of `7.45 crore with the Uttarakhand State Infrastructure Development Corporation (USIDC) as the executing body. It will be constructed as per the green building concept and a three-star rating certificate of green rating for integrated habitat assessment will also be secured for it. Raipur MlA Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’ and principal secretary Radha Raturi also spoke on the occasion.