Arunachal Governor Calls for Digital Overhaul of Food Distribution System
During a meeting with State Food Commission Chairman Tarh Tarak, Governor KT Parnaik stressed digitalisation, social audits and nutrition-focused welfare delivery, particularly in remote and border areas.
ITANAGAR- Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt General KT Parnaik (Retd.) has called for greater use of digital technology, stronger social audits and improved accountability to make food security programmes more transparent and effective across the state, particularly in remote and border areas.
The Governor made the observations during a meeting with State Food Commission Chairman Tarh Tarak at Lok Bhavan, Itanagar, on August 11. The two discussed ways to strengthen food security mechanisms, improve service delivery and ensure welfare benefits reach every eligible citizen.
Emphasising transparency and accountability, Governor Parnaik advised the State Food Commission to promote regular social audits of the Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
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According to the communiqué, the Governor said social audits could help identify gaps and prevent leakages while improving public trust in welfare programmes and ensuring that benefits reach their intended beneficiaries.
A major focus of the discussion was the use of technology to improve foodgrain distribution.
The Governor recommended end-to-end digitisation of the supply chain, including the use of GPS-enabled transportation, electronic Point of Sale (e-PoS) devices, Aadhaar-enabled authentication and real-time monitoring systems.
The proposed measures are intended to improve transparency in the distribution chain, reduce pilferage and help ensure timely delivery of food grains across Arunachal Pradesh.
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For a geographically challenging state with several remote and border settlements, the emphasis on tracking and real-time monitoring reflects the administration’s focus on improving the last-mile delivery of food security benefits.
The Governor also stressed that food security should extend beyond ensuring the availability of food to addressing nutrition security.
He advocated incorporating locally available nutritious foods such as millets, fruits, vegetables, eggs and pulses into government nutrition programmes.
Special attention, he said, should be given to children, pregnant women, lactating mothers and other vulnerable groups to address malnutrition and improve health outcomes in the state.
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The State Food Commission Chairman was accompanied by Commission members Maji Chokar and Ngasah Tanjang during the meeting.
The Governor’s recommendations place three priorities at the centre of food security delivery in Arunachal Pradesh: greater transparency through social audits, technology-driven distribution systems, and a stronger focus on locally sourced nutrition.
