Food dept's Reforms Cell to boost public distribution system, address grievances

Kolkata: The state Food and Supplies department is forming a new cell, called the 'Reforms Cell' in the Secretariat, with the aim to fast-track the process of public distribution system and prompt redressal of grievances.

"It is a stride towards reforms in the entire system with more and more people coming under the aegis of the public distribution system since the lockdown started. There will be reforms in management of ration cards, fair price shops and distribution and procurement of foodgrains through ration," said Jyotipriya Mallick, the state Food and Supplies minister adding that the primary intention is to reach to the beneficiaries faster.

The Food department is providing free ration to more than 10 lakh people in the state and will continue to do so till the month of September.

The cell will be looking into development of portal, mobile app etc along with its synchronisation for the benefit of people, fast-track grievances and complaints mechanism, organise training, awareness and capacity building programmes of stakeholders and users.

"It will also implement the introduction of e-offices in the department, all its directorates and the field offices including creation of infrastructure and training," said a senior official of the department.

It will also bring in reforms of existing forms, formats, rules and guidelines which are published time-to-time and undertake IT based e-governance solutions.

An order in this regard was released by the Special Secretary of the department that stated that the cell will function under the overall supervision of Priyatu Mondal, MD of West Bengal State Warehousing Corporation and ex-officio Additional Secretary of the Food and Supplies department.

Sankar Narayan Bankura, DD & OSD, Procurement, will function as the nodal officer of the Reforms Cell in addition to his normal duties.

Five other senior officials of the department have been nominated as functionaries in the cell along with two contractual DEOs.