Odisha minister Krushna Patra assures PDS rice for all families
By A.K.Sahoo
Kotia (Koraput, Odisha), Dec. 22: Odisha food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Sunday assured that every family in the 28-village Kotia cluster of Koraput district would be brought under the Public Distribution System (PDS), irrespective of socio-economic status, as part of the state government’s stepped-up outreach in the sensitive border region.
During his visit to Kotia under Pottangi block, Patra, accompanied by senior state officials, distributed ration cards to 26 families on a pilot basis, marking the beginning of universal PDS coverage in the tribal-dominated villages. The initiative, he said, would soon be extended to all households in the cluster.
“Today’s distribution is only symbolic. In the coming days, every family in Kotia will receive ration cards and PDS rice. The state government is fully committed to the comprehensive development of these villages located in the Deomali hill range,” the minister said.
Stressing last-mile delivery, Patra instructed officials to ensure that PDS rice is delivered at the doorstep of beneficiaries so that residents are not forced to travel long distances to fair price shops. He also announced plans to introduce livelihood-based economic activities in the area to check migration of local youth to other states in search of work.
The minister further said a skill development centre would be established in Kotia to train local youth in trades suited to regional opportunities. “Our focus is on creating employment locally so that young people can build their future within their own villages,” he added.
Patra’s visit followed revenue minister Suresh Pujari’s tour of the Kotia region a day earlier, during which several administrative and welfare measures were announced. The consecutive ministerial visits are being viewed as part of the Odisha government’s sustained effort to strengthen governance, welfare delivery and public confidence in the border villages.
The Kotia cluster has long been at the centre of a boundary dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, with both states claiming administrative jurisdiction. The matter has remained pending before the Supreme Court since 1968. Over the years, competing welfare initiatives by the two states have kept the region in focus, making governance and development efforts both politically and administratively significant.
Photograph: Odisha food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra (centre) addresses residents of the Kotia cluster of villages in Koraput district.
