ITANAGAR : State Food Commission Chairman Tarh Tarak called on Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt General KT Parnaik (Retd) at Lok Bhavan here on Tuesday and discussed measures to strengthen food security mechanisms, improve service delivery and ensure welfare benefits reach all eligible citizens, particularly those in remote and border areas.

The Governor emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in implementing food security programmes and advised the Commission to promote regular social audits of the Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-Day Meal Scheme and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).

He said social audits would help identify gaps, prevent leakages, improve public trust and ensure that welfare benefits reach the intended beneficiaries.

Highlighting the role of technology in governance, Parnaik recommended greater use of digital tools for efficient food distribution. He suggested end-to-end digitisation of the supply chain through GPS-enabled transportation, electronic Point of Sale (e-PoS) devices, Aadhaar-enabled authentication and real-time monitoring systems.

Such measures, he said, would improve transparency, reduce pilferage and ensure timely delivery of food grains across the state.

The Governor also stressed the need to move beyond food availability towards nutrition security. He advocated inclusion of locally available nutritious foods such as millets, fruits, vegetables, eggs and pulses in government nutrition programmes.

He called for special attention to children, pregnant women, lactating mothers and other vulnerable groups to address malnutrition and build a healthier Arunachal Pradesh.

The Chairman was accompanied by State Food Commission members Maji Chokar and Ngasah Tanjang.