Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G.R. Anil has said the public distribution system in the State will be modernised in a time-bound manner.
Speaking after attending various programmes in the district Mr. Anil said that the Supplyco would set up modern godowns in each taluks and ration shops would be modernised in the State as a part of strengthening the public distribution system.
Such distribution systems were the need of the hour to ensure the supply of quality products in exact quantity, the Minister said.
When the Food Security Act was executed in the State, the dearth of modern godowns was the major challenge. This issue would be resolved in a time-bound manner, Mr. Anil said, adding the construction of such godowns across the State would be materialised in five years.
'However, the quality of products is now being ensured in a joint inspection with the officials of the Food Corporation of India while the products is to be supplied from the FCI Godown, Mr. Anil said, adding that the Supplyco and the FCI had made a memorandum of understanding for the purpose.
Apart from the regular supply of groceries, articles of daily use would also be distributed thorough the 1, 000 selected ration shops in rural areas of the State in a subsided price by the end of April, the Minister said.
More mobile ration shops would be launched for the tribal people in remote settlements, the Minister added.
The government would procure the whole rice produced by the farmers in the State through Supplyco and the government was planning to pay the amount to them in 24 hours, Mr. Anil said.
Mr. Anil inaugurated the harvest festival of the Thariyodu service cooperative bank, a file adalath related to rations shops, and a taluk-level Public Distribution System godown of the Supplyco at Kolagappara in the district.
