ITANAGAR, 26 Jun: Strengthening the public distribution system (PDS), addressing manpower shortage, and improving public service delivery were among the key focus areas during the annual review meeting of the Food & Civil Supplies (F&CS) Department, held at DK convention hall here on Friday.
Chairing the meeting, Food & Civil Supplies Minister Gabriel D Wangsu said the department remains one of the most visible departments as it directly affects the daily lives of citizens. He appreciated the dedication and commitment of the officers, acknowledging their significant contribution in ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential commodities over the years.
The minister commended the officers for efficiently managing foodgrain storage facilities despite various challenges, and encouraged them to study successful models adopted by other states and implement suitable best practices in Arunachal Pradesh.
“Greater public awareness would help improve transparency and ensure effective delivery of welfare schemes,” the minister said, and urged officers to not keep files stagnant.
Taking note of the shortage of manpower in the department, Wangsu directed officials to prepare a fresh proposal for requisition of additional staff, including computer operators, to strengthen the department’s workforce.
On promotion-related concerns raised by officers,Wangsu assured them that their career progression would receive due attention. He reaffirmed his support for the departmental officers and urged them to continue serving the people with dedication and sincerity.
The minister expressed hope that whatever were discussed in the session would be implemented with the resolve to strengthen coordination, improve administrative efficiency, and further enhance the delivery of food and civil supplies services across the state.
Addressing the officials, Food & Civil Supplies Secretary Kanto Danggen stressed the need to document and share successful initiatives adopted by different districts, so that best practices could be replicated across the state.
He also urged all DFCSOs to work in close coordination with district administrations to ensure efficient implementation of government schemes and timely resolution of public issues.
During the deliberations, officers made detailed presentations on the department’s performance, district-level achievements, operational challenges and future action plans.
The meeting reviewed key areas, including lifting and distribution of foodgrains, inclusion and exclusion of beneficiaries under the PDS, POL and LPG distribution, smart PDS, supply chain management, e-KYC implementation, FPS automation, vehicle location tracking system, vigilance committees and consumer protection matters.
Administrative issues such as staff shortage, vacancies, promotion-related matters, recruitment rule amendments, creation of new posts, budget estimates, ongoing projects, inventory and monetisation of departmental assets, land allotment, price stabilisation fund, PFMS/SNA-SPARSH implementation, procurement of new vehicles, and auction of old vehicles were also discussed in detail.
Director Tayek Pado and district food & civil supplies officers from across the state attended the meeting.
