BHUBANESWAR : In a bid to streamline the transport system during the paddy procurement process and address delays in loading paddy at mandis and unloading at rice mills, the State Transport Authority (STA) has asked all truck owners to install vehicle location tracking devices by November 15.
The direction came after Transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur held discussions with the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd, truck owners association and transport contractors to coordinate the transport system for paddy procurement.
Installation of vehicle location tracking devices on trucks was advised as a solution to the delays in unloading. The state government has set the target to procure 86 lakh tonne of paddy during the kharif marketing season.
Thakur suggested the millers to depute a representative at the mandis during loading and cover the paddy with tarpaulin to avoid discrepancies in paddy procurement. He also recommended the civil supplies corporation to amend the tender rules by reducing the EMD ratio to three per cent and lowering the transport experience requirements for eligibility.