State Food Commission to go digital, boost consumer outreach

Himachal Pradesh State Food Commission Chairman Dr SP Katyal on Saturday said that the functioning of the organisation was being revamped, with strong focus on technology and public awareness, to ensure the supply of quality food grains and make it more accessible to consumers.

Katyal, while addressing mediapersons, said, “Efforts are underway to bridge the gap between the public and the commission through technology-driven solutions and stronger consumer outreach. A consumer helpline and an official website will be launched, enabling people to register complaints, seek information and stay updated on food safety and quality-related problems.”

He highlighted the growing role of digital tools and said that data related to anganwari centres and mid-day meal workers in the state would be digitised and made available online. This, he added, would help inspection teams and the authorities to access accurate information quickly, improving monitoring, inspections and accountability in nutrition and food supply programmes.

Katyal said that the State Food Commission would act as a coordinating link between the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Health Department and the food safety authorities. This coordination, he added, would ensure better inter-departmental synergy, faster decision-making and more effective implementation of food safety measures across the state.

Katyal stressed the need for timely quality checks and directed officials to expedite inspection of food grains and ensure laboratory test reports of collected samples were received within 15 to 20 days. He said that all such reports should be made public without discrimination to enhance transparency.

He said that the Food Supplies Corporation and the department followed a transparent and well-defined procurement process for essential commodities such as wheat flour, rice, edible oil and pulses. Orders were issued to flour mills and suppliers only after prescribed norms had been followed. Food samples were collected at multiple stages to ensure strict quality control. Any substandard consignment, he said, was immediately rejected and returned, while erring firms were blacklisted in serious cases.

Katyal said that the commission was also organising seminars and workshops at various levels to raise public awareness. Special focus was being laid to educate street vendors and small traders about hygiene and health standards so that livelihoods could be sustained without compromising public health.

Earlier, a meeting on food security, nutrition programmes and the functioning of fair price shops was held in Mandi under Katyal’s chairmanship. He directed the officials concerned to increase targets for food grain sample collection, ensure regular inspection of mid-day meals, conduct health check-ups of cooking staff and promote hygiene awareness among schoolchildren. He also stressed the need for quality monitoring in women’s shelters and old-age homes.

Katyal praised the district administration for maintaining an uninterrupted food supply during disaster situations and called for best practices to be documented for future reference. He said that the aim of th e reforms was to ensure safe and quality food for every consumer while promoting transparency, accountability and public participation in the food safety ecosystem.

Food Supplies Corporation Area Manager Sanjeev Verma, Food and Supplies Officer Pawan and other departmental representatives attended the meeting.