Odisha Minister Assures PDS Rice to All Families in Border Kotia Villages
Stressing last-mile delivery, Patra directed officials to ensure doorstep delivery of PDS rice so villagers are not forced to travel long distances to fair price shops
Kotia: Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Sunday announced that all families in the 28-village Kotia cluster in Koraput district will be brought under the Public Distribution System (PDS), irrespective of their socio-economic status, as part of the state government’s intensified outreach in the sensitive border region.
During his visit to Kotia under Pottangi block, Patra, accompanied by senior officials, distributed ration cards to 26 families on a pilot basis, marking the beginning of universal PDS coverage in the tribal-dominated villages. He said the initiative would soon be extended to every household in the cluster.
“Today’s distribution is symbolic. Very soon, all families in Kotia will receive ration cards and PDS rice. The state government is fully committed to the holistic development of these villages nestled in the Deomali hill range,” the minister said.
Stressing last-mile delivery, Patra directed officials to ensure doorstep delivery of PDS rice so villagers are not forced to travel long distances to fair price shops. He also announced plans to introduce livelihood-based economic activities in the area to curb migration of local youth to other states.
The minister further assured that a skill development centre would be set up in Kotia to train local youth in various trades aligned with regional employment opportunities. “Our focus is to generate employment locally so that young people can build their futures in their own villages,” he said.
Patra’s visit came a day after Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari toured the region and announced a series of administrative and welfare measures. The back-to-back visits underline the Odisha government’s sustained efforts to strengthen governance, welfare delivery, and public confidence in the border villages.
The Kotia cluster has long been at the centre of a territorial dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, with the matter pending before the Supreme Court since 1968. Competing welfare initiatives by both states have kept the region in focus, making governance and development measures in Kotia both politically and administratively significant.