Food grains to fair price shops directly from state-level
Bhopal: Food grains will now be allotted from office of the Commissioner Food to fair price shops under public distribution system. Food grains will be supplied to ration shops directly by Civil Supplies Corporation. Public distribution system will be improved on a large scale.
This was informed at review meeting of Food & Civil Supplies Corporation chaired by Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan here today. The Chief Minister said that government’s top priority is to make available food grains to the poor. Arrangements should be strengthened in such a way that no eligible beneficiary is deprived from getting wheat, rice and salt at the rate of Re. one per kg. He directed that complaints regarding non-supply of ration should be thoroughly enquired into and action taken against the guilty. Food Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah and Chief Secretary Shri Anthony de Sa were also present on the occasion.
The meeting was informed that allocation was made at the district level till now and reached fair price shop via development block. Due to it various kinds of complaints including delay used to be made. For streamlining, the entire supply system will be computerised and every information right from release of food grains and their arrival at fair price shops will be linked with information chain. Similarly, in the first phase of PDS reforms, fake ration card holders will be identified through computers in Bhopal and Indore cities and rural areas in Hoshangabad, Harda, Khandwa and Burhanpur districts. Consumers will have the choice to purchase food grains from fair price shop of his choice. Consumers of selected districts will be linked with Aadhar Number. As an alternative arrangement, eligible families without Aadhar Number will also be registered. If a consumer does not obtain food grains in a month, he will be free to obtain quota of that month next month
Appreciating efforts for reforms, the Chief Minister directed to issue letters of commendation to departmental officers. The meeting was informed that arrangements are being made to deliver new and duplicate ration cards to consumers on the same day. The meeting was informed that 69 lakh MT wheat has been procured in the state so far. It was informed that validity of new licences and renewal of warehouses has been increased from one year to 5 years. Tenders for 9 districts have been sanctioned for construction of steel silos for storage of procured wheat under PPP mode. Rate of storage in silo bags has come down by about 50 percent in Madhya Pradesh as compared to other states. Another major achievement of Madhya Pradesh is that storage capacity has increased 3 fold in the state during the last 3 years. At present, the state has total 165 lakh MT storage capacity in private and government sectors. The Chief Minister directed that new godowns should be constructed only as per requirement.
Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shri Ajay Nath, Principal Secretary Food and Civil Supplies Shri Ashok Warnwal and Principal Secretary to CM Shri Manoj Shrivastava were also present on the occasion.
