Karwar: Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Uttara Kannada, K. Lakshmi Priya, has directed officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department to take strict measures to prevent the misuse of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes.

Presiding over a departmental meeting at the DC office on Tuesday, she emphasized the need for surprise inspections in areas with high commercial activity. She instructed officials to thoroughly verify gas agency records, particularly the distribution data of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders.

The DC informed that the e-KYC process for ration cards has reached 98.02% completion across the district. She asked officials to issue final notices and set strict deadlines to ensure 100% completion.

Out of the 410 fair price shops in the district, 402 have been equipped with Point-of-Sale (POS) machines. For the remaining outlets lacking internet connectivity, she urged BSNL officials to provide connectivity at the earliest to ensure transparency in the public distribution system.

Under the ‘Anna Bhagya Guarantee Scheme’, rice is currently being distributed in full quantity. The DC warned against black marketing and illegal transportation of ration rice, particularly in border taluks, and said strict action would be taken against violators, including negligent officials.

She also instructed food department officers to store food grains scientifically and systematically in wholesale godowns and to conduct regular inspections. She added that any irregularities found during inspections would lead to appropriate action.

The meeting was attended by District Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies, Manjunath Revankar, and officers from all taluks.