Odisha govt indecision on wheat distribution led to PDS rice delay

AS the mango kernel deaths in Kandhamal district has landed the state government in a spot, it has now come to light that distribution of PDS rice for the October-December quarter was delayed for about a month, thanks to the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) department's overdrive to provide wheat to ration card holders without due diligence.

- BIJOY PRADHAN

Absence of proper evaluation of intended beneficiaries and logistics required for transportation of the foodgrain led to multiple instructions to the district civil supplies officers (CSOs) for holding up ration distribution, sources said.

The delay in delivery of free ration by nearly a month was not Kandhamal-specific and hit a much larger population covered under the food security programme. Software upgradation of point of sale (PoS) machines caused the first problem.