Newz Desk, Durgapur: The State Food Department has issued a fresh set of guidelines to ensure stricter monitoring of ration distributors, extending its surveillance mechanism beyond ration dealers. While guidelines for regular inspection of ration dealers were framed earlier, the new directive focuses specifically on distributors who play a key role in the public distribution supply chain.
As per the system, rice and wheat are first supplied from Food Department warehouses to distributors, who then transport the foodgrains to ration dealers under their jurisdiction. Distributors receive commission at prescribed rates based on the quantity of foodgrains handled.
According to the notification issued by the Food Department, detailed procedures have now been laid down for conducting both routine and special inspections of distributors’ operations. The guidelines mandate close monitoring of storage, transportation and overall handling of foodgrains to prevent irregularities.
Under the special inspection mechanism, senior officials including the Director of Rationing and district-level food controllers have been instructed to actively participate in inspection drives. Reports of raids, along with photographs and other evidence, must be uploaded on the Khadya Sathi mobile application to ensure transparency and accountability.
Inspecting officials have been directed not only to verify whether the stock levels are in accordance with records, but also to assess the quality of stored foodgrains. The move is aimed at strengthening oversight within the public distribution system and ensuring that beneficiaries receive both the correct quantity and quality of essential commodities.
