Kolkata, May 1 (IANS): While the Centre ensures that quality foodstuff reaches the states for various schemes like mid-day meal, it was the responsibility of the state governments to ensure its effective distribution, a union minister said on Friday.

"The Centre ensures that the quality of foodstuff meant for public distribution and various schemes is at par with the ones available in the market and we are ensuring that. Once it is delivered to the 700-odd warehouses of FCI (Food Corporation of India) and the state begins the evacuation of the delivery, our jurisdiction ends there," union Minister for Consumer Protection, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan told media persons here.

Paswan said there was a need for the states to computerise the process of shipment of foodgrains so that it could be tracked right from the first shipment by the Centre until the final distribution point.

"It will ensure there is minimal loss (of quantity) and it can be tracked for sure if the same foodgrain sent by the Centre is delivered to the people", he said.

In February this year, thirty children fell ill after eating mid-day meal at a government school in Vaishali district in Bihar.