Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt General K.T. Parnaik (Retd) on Tuesday, 11 August called for stronger transparency and accountability in the state's food security programmes, urging the State Food Commission to adopt digital tools and regular social audits to plug leakages and ensure welfare benefits reach every eligible citizen — especially those in remote and border areas.

Key Developments

Tarh Tarak, Chairman of the State Food Commission, called on the Governor at Lok Bhavan in Itanagar, accompanied by Commission members Maji Chokar and Ngasah Tanjang. The meeting focused on strengthening food security mechanisms and improving service delivery across the state.

The Governor stressed that the Commission must promote regular social audits of the Public Distribution System (PDS), the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Such audits, he said, would help identify gaps, prevent leakages, and build public trust in welfare delivery.

Technology as a Governance Tool

Lt General Parnaik (Retd) recommended end-to-end digitisation of the food supply chain, specifically advocating GPS-enabled transportation, electronic Point of Sale (e-PoS) devices, Aadhaar-enabled authentication, and real-time monitoring systems. These measures, he noted, would reduce pilferage and ensure timely delivery of food grains across the state's challenging terrain.

The push for technology-driven governance is particularly significant in Arunachal Pradesh, where difficult geography — spanning high-altitude border districts and remote tribal settlements — has historically hampered last-mile delivery of welfare entitlements.

Nutrition Security Beyond Food Availability

Drawing on his experience, the Governor urged the Commission to look beyond mere food availability and focus on nutrition security. He advocated the inclusion of locally available nutritious foods — including millets, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and pulses — in government nutrition programmes. Special attention, he said, must be directed toward children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and other vulnerable groups to combat malnutrition.

Sainik School East Siang Also Discussed

In a separate meeting at Lok Bhavan, Colonel Anant Thapan, Principal of Sainik School East Siang in Pasighat, briefed the Governor on the institution's academic performance, infrastructure development, co-curricular achievements, and challenges in nurturing young cadets. The Governor emphasised that physical fitness, discipline, character-building, and academic excellence must remain core pillars of education at Sainik Schools, and advised the principal to maintain the campus to the highest standards. Col Thapan assured the Governor that the school remains committed to all-round development of its cadets.

With Arunachal Pradesh's food security infrastructure under renewed scrutiny, the Governor's directives signal a push toward measurable accountability — and the next steps will depend on how swiftly the State Food Commission moves to implement social audit frameworks and digital systems on the ground.