Arunachal Governor K T Parnaik calls for greater transparency in food security schemes

Arunachal Pradesh Governor K T Parnaik on Tuesday, August 11 called for greater transparency and accountability in food security programmes, with a particular focus on ensuring that welfare benefits reach eligible beneficiaries in remote and border areas of the state.

Parnaik made the remarks when Arunachal Pradesh Food Commission Chairman Tarh Tarak called on him at Lok Bhavan in Itanagar, according to an official statement.

The governor advised the Food Commission to promote regular social audits of key welfare programmes, including the Public Distribution System (PDS), mid-day meal scheme and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).

He said regular social audits could help identify gaps in implementation, prevent leakages and strengthen public confidence in welfare programmes while ensuring that benefits reach the intended beneficiaries.

Parnaik also stressed the need for greater use of digital technology to improve the efficiency and transparency of food distribution mechanisms across the state. He recommended end-to-end digitisation of the foodgrain supply chain through GPS-enabled transportation, electronic point of sale (e-PoS) devices, Aadhaar-enabled authentication and real-time monitoring systems.

According to the governor, such measures could help reduce pilferage, improve accountability and ensure the timely delivery of food grains, particularly in geographically difficult and remote areas.

Parnaik also emphasised that food security should extend beyond the availability of food to include nutrition security, particularly for vulnerable sections of the population.

He advocated greater use of locally available nutritious foods, including millets, fruits, vegetables, eggs and pulses, in government nutrition programmes. He stressed the need for special attention to children, pregnant women, lactating mothers and other vulnerable groups to address malnutrition.

During the meeting, Parnaik and Tarak also discussed measures to strengthen food security mechanisms, improve service delivery and ensure that welfare benefits reach every eligible citizen, particularly those residing in remote and border areas.

Tarak was accompanied by Food Commission members Maji Chokar and Ngasah Tanjang.