Food and civil supplies minister Mathura Prasad Mahto said this today after a review of the district under North Chotanagpur commissionerate, where he instructed officials to check hoarders and prevent hunger deaths by supplying foodgrain free of cost to the poor.
The minister said the government had also decided to open 300 kiosks in villages to supply onion, pulses and mustard oil on subsidised rates. When pointed out that Suvidha Kendras opened by the state during President’s rule had failed to help the poor, Mahto said the government would take necessary steps to ensure the kiosk programme was a success.
“We will take decisions related to this facility on January 27,” he said.
Mahto admitted that the state had failed in distributing foodgrains under various schemes. The government, he added, would include MPs, MLAs, ward commissioners and zilla parishad members to monitor these schemes and alert the government in case of any irregularities.
The JMM leader said he told officials to strictly enforce state-sponsored schemes.
or face serious action if there was any misappropriation. He stressed that the officials were asked to ensure supply of foodgrains to families lacking in earning members.
Mahto said would hold meetings with officials of different regions of the state. “But now, I will visit all the districts and blocks to review work of officials know the ground realities of the government schemes,” he added.