10,000 PDS centres raided in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Sep 10 (UNI) In all 10,000 Public Distribution Centres (PDS) in Orissa were raided during the past three months and 3000 people issued showcause notices.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who chaired a high level review meeting of the functioning of the PDS today, directed the department concerned to carry out the raid for another two months to bring transparency in the PDS in the state.

Official sources said the state government had seized essentials worth over Rs 1.24 crore being smuggled illegally and seized 150 vehicles running on kerosene.

The Chief Minister directed the Civil Supply department to fill up all the Supply Inspectors and Weight and Measurement Inspectors lying vacant, and stressed on mass awareness programmes to apprise the consumers of their rights.

UNI