Assam to restructure public distribution system

An 'innovative' Public Distribution System (PDS) model, conceptualised and designed by the Indian Institute of Management-Shillong (IIM-Shillong), will soon try and fix "leakages" and "inefficiencies" in the system in Assam. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has given the go-ahead to the setting up of a 'Assam State Civil Supplies Corporation', which would be integral to the new system and whose structure has been designed by IIM-Shillong.

Faculty sources from IIM-Shillong said the new model for the corporation had been designed after a series of discussions with senior government officials and with stakeholders. The new corporation would be set up on a private-public-partnership mode, and would have a "robust structure" in place to sustain both domestic and international dynamics. "The corporation will have a two-tier structure - Tier I, which would be an executing company, and Tier II, which would be an initiating corporate body. The corporation would be a New Age public distribution system for the Assam with cutting edge technology and efficient management systems to overpower leakages and inefficiencies of the legacy system," sources said.

Gogoi gave the go ahead for formation of the new corporation following a meeting with senior government officials and faculty members of IIM-Shillong at his official residence yesterday.

"The design concept by IIM-Shillong seems to be innovative with fresh ideas and thinking. It's good that the best model has been adopted for hassle-free implementation down to the producers' level, the main stakeholders in the corporation coming up," said Gogoi.

However Gogoi added that the new structure should be a robust and vibrant one, and should be able to "withstand the pressures and overcome them". Gogoi said the most important aspect was that the new corporation should be able to generate its own resources to sustain domestic dynamics.Faculty sources from IIM-Shillong said the new corporation would be induced with women empowerment, self governance and sustainable, trust and long term bonding, competitive managerial capabilities and cutting edge technologies.