Moribund Odisha State Food Commission got Activated

Moribund Odisha State Food Commission got Activated and functional due to intervention of Civil Society

In the first week of January’2016, the Civil Society Groups and Opposition Political Parties made scathing attack of State Govt. for its failure to  constitute  State Food Commission at State level   and appoint District Grievance Redressal Officer at district level under  section 16 and 15 of National Food Security Act. Then,  the  Department of Food Supply and Consumer Welfare, Govt. of Odisha disclosed  a Notification of Oct. 15   ( it was kept secret for 3 months in official file) for  designating State Information Commission as State Food Commission and  Project Director, DRDA as District Grievance Redressal Officer and  released an advertisement  about it . The advertisement published on12.1.16  carried  a message appealing to the people to make complaint relating to violation of the Act in order to silence the opposition political parties. 

After going through the advertisement,   the Social Activists of  Right to Food campaign   along with more than 100  poor people  visited  to  the office of State Food Commission, Toshali Bhawan, Satya Nagar, Bhubaneswar to file complaint  about denial of Ration card. When the Team reached in the office of omission at 11.30 AM, it  was found that  there was no such mechanism available  to receive complaints.  Even the staff of State Information Commission is also not aware about Govt. Notification.  After a lot of protests  and Dharana of two hours  by the Activists demanding  for receipt of complaint  the staff of the Commission were forced to   receive the complains and provide the receipt to the complainants.  I personally filed complaints for  20 poor people  who have been deprived to get Ration Card due to huge corruption and irregularities  in the process of selection of beneficiaries.

In the meantime, around 1000 complaints have been filed due to effort of Civil Society Groups. 

Today on 11.2.16, I received letter dt. 3.2.16 from State Food Commission that  the Commission  have directed the concerned  Collectors to redress the grievances and dispose the same within 30 days. 

Let us see how the poor people will get justice from the Commission.

Pradip Pradhan

M-9937843482

Date- 12.2.16