Hamirpur DC: Material worth Rs 15 crore distributed in 4 months

Himachal Pradesh: Food items worth Rs 15.27 crore were distributed across the district under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the last four months. This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Amarjit Singh while addressing a review meeting of the Public Distribution Committee of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. The DC said that during this period, PDS items reached 5,34,135 beneficiaries holding 1,49,539 ration cards through a network of 316 fair price shops operating in the district. Emphasizing the importance of food quality and consumer safety, the DC directed the officials of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department as well as the State Civil Supplies Corporation to ensure regular inspection and sampling of food items.

“Maximum sampling should be done to guarantee meeting quality standards,” he said. He said the department conducted 378 inspections in the last four months, which revealed irregularities in one case. Additionally, 30 samples of various food items were collected for examination, out of which one was found unfit for consumption. He directed the officials to take strict action against the use of banned single-use plastic, thereby reinforcing the administration’s commitment towards environmental responsibility. The committee also discussed proposals for opening new fair price shops in deprived areas. It was decided that applications fulfilling departmental criteria for expanding the PDS network would be approved.