BHUBANESWAR: The State Government will provide more revolving fund to those gram panchayats which are operating fair price shops under the public distribution system (PDS). While the Government is encouraging gram panchayats to deliver items supplied under PDS, presently 3,752 gram panchayats have registered fair price shops (FPS). Each panchayat having registered FPS has been provided a revolving fund of ` 25,000 for deposit against PDS items and other operational activities. However, the amount is not sufficient for many panchayats. Collectors of many districts brought this to the notice of Chief Secretary BK Patnaik during a video conference here on Tuesday. The Chief Secretary reviewed the functioning of the newly introduced departmental storage system and delivery of PDS stock at retail points. Earlier, the PDS was being carried on through private storage agent system. The district collectors requested the Chief Secretary to enhance the revolving fund to at least ` 50,000 while a few demanded that the amount be increased to ` 75,000 keeping the size of population of the panchayat. The Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Secretary Madhusudan Padhi told the district collectors that the department had submitted a proposal to the Government for release of ` 18 crore from the Orissa Contingency Fund (OCF) immediately as supplementary demand will be passed in the winter session of the Assembly. Shortage of field staff was the other area of concern of the district collectors. The existing staff of the State Civil Supplies Corporation are grossly inadequate to handle a massive exercise like PDS management. While 171 procurement inspectors have been trained and posted in different districts, another 118, undergoing training, will be posted in the next couple of days, Padhi said. Besides, 120 data entry operators (DEOs) have been posted as against the total requirement of 341. Process is on for recruitment of the remaining DEOs and 145 quality analysts. The Supplies Secretary further said that the Staff Selection Commission had been requested for selection of supplies inspectors for filling up of 176 vacant posts. The district collectors have been authorised to engage data entry operators at district level for uploading data on a daily basis. While efforts are on to monitor the supply and management of PDS items online, a new software developed for the purpose is being piloted in Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada and Deogarh districts. The system be rolled on to other districts in six months, the department secretary said. The Chief Secretary instructed all the districts collectors to ensure that the new system is perfectly put in place and PDS supply continues uninterrupted from May under the new departmental storage system.
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