Koraput: Odisha’s Minister for Food Supplies, Consumer Welfare, and Science & Technology, Krushna Chandra Patra, visited Koraput district on Thursday and participated in a departmental review meeting.
At 5:30 PM, the minister attended the review meeting held at the District Skill Development and Training Center under the chairmanship of Koraput Collector V. Keerthi Vasan.
During his address, Minister Patra emphasized the government’s priority towards the welfare of consumers and farmers. He highlighted that the distribution of essential commodities, such as rice, wheat, oil, soap, and pulses, at affordable prices to ration cardholders remains a key focus.
Additionally, the government is working to identify poor individuals who have been left out of the ration card system and ensure that they receive their entitlements.
The minister reviewed paddy procurement in the district for the current Kharif season and stated that farmers’ paddy was being purchased properly. The district administration and departmental officials were appreciated for effectively executing the procurement process. He assured that farmers were not facing any deductions or unfair cuts and were receiving the correct price for their paddy.
Going forward, the government will intensify efforts in these areas, addressing any existing issues to improve the system.
Key Officials Present:
The review meeting was attended by:
Koraput Collector V. Keerthi Vasan
Additional District Collector Devi Prasad Mohanty
Chief Development Officer of District Council Benudhara Sabar
Jeypore Sub-Collector Sushri Akbaram Sasya Reddy
District Supply Officer Pradeep Kumar Panda
Other officials from the Food and Supplies Department
Key Statistics from the Review:
As of March 18, 2025, in Koraput’s 14 blocks, there are 240 gram panchayats covering 1,865 villages.
A total of 11,73,641 ration card beneficiaries are registered in the district.
10,40,797 beneficiaries have completed Aadhaar-based KYC verification, accounting for 89% compliance.
The paddy procurement target for the district in the Kharif season was 2,57,288 metric tons.
39,333 farmers were registered for procurement, out of which 39,067 were deemed eligible.
By February 28, 2025, paddy had been **procured from 37