Rajahmundry: In order to ensure a supply of quality rice that is correctly weighed to people through public distribution system at fair price shops, the state government has constituted district-level task force teams headed by district supply officer. This follows complaints of supply of inferior quality rice.
The state government issued GO 9 recently appointing the district supply officer, deputy collector (district vigilance cell), district manager, APSCSCL, assistant controller (legal metrology) and assistant manager (technical), APSCSCL as members of each team.
The teams will inspect the rice in various godowns, rice mills and other facilities where rice meant for PDS is secured.
According to officials, each rice bag needs to have declarations from rice miller at the time of delivery that mentions the name and address of the manufacturer or packer, common or generic name of the commodity, net quantity, month and year of packing and consumer care number.
If any issue is detected in supply of rice, a report will be submitted to the district collector concerned who would initiate necessary action against the millers and others. A copy of the report will also be sent to the commissioner of civil supplies and also to the controller of legal metrology to initiate suitable action against those who flout the norms.
Based on the guidelines, task force teams have started inspection of rice godowns and started booking cases against the rice millers and others for flouting a series of norms mentioned above.
East Godavari district supply officer P. Prasada Rao said, “We have carried out some eight to 10 inspections so far and two cases were booked recently. Though we delayed a bit in taking up inspections earlier due to preoccupation with other work, we will expedite the exercise from now onwards.”
