Bhubaneswar: Union food and public distribution secretary Sanjeev Chopra reviewed the state’s paddy procurement and public distribution system during his visit to the state on Thursday. The review meeting, chaired by chief secretary Manoj Ahuja at Lok Seva Bhawan, saw participation from key officials, including principal secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh and other senior representatives from various food security organisations.
During the meeting, Singh highlighted that 91% of beneficiaries under the National and State Food Security Act have successfully completed their e-KYC verification. The state is actively working to strengthen the digital infrastructure by providing internet connectivity to 341 govt fair price shops (FPS) in areas with weak mobile network coverage.
“Out of these FPS locations, 111 are already equipped with networking facilities,” Singh said. He said officials are conducting door-to-door verification for around 30 lakh beneficiaries who are yet to complete their e-KYC process. The e-KYC process for about 12 lakh beneficiaries under these FPSs is currently underway.
Chopra emphasized the importance of streamlining the paddy transportation process, directing officials to ensure direct movement of paddy from mandis to mills. He assured the state of complete support from the Centre in implementing these initiatives.
Following the review meeting, Chopra visited various facilities, including a fair price shop at Unit-IX, a godown in Mancheswar, and a grain ATM, where he interacted with beneficiaries to understand ground-level implementation of the schemes.