Tripura government committed to strengthen the public distribution system (PDS) and the fruitful results of the rationing system should reach every corner of the state, said Food ,Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury.

On Sunday, the Food minister chaired a review meeting held at the Food Bhavan at Gurkhabasti area of Agartala in participation of special secretary of the department Ravel Hamendra Kumar, director Nirmal Adhikari along with other top officials of the department.

After the review meeting, minister Chowdhury speaking with media persons said that  Food ,Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs is a very important department and the department should always be alert over the seamless supply of the rationing system.

He said that the government is now contemplating a plan to introduce supply of edible mustard oil through ration shops. He also stressed on the maintenance of proper supply of PDS items in every ration shop of the state. Chowdhury also said that to get the ultimate success in PDS, the government will organize a state level seminar.

While giving a powerpoint presentation in the review meeting, additional director of Food department Animesh Debbarma said that the department is working through four wings including PDS, civil supply, consumer food and legal metrology.

At present, the state has 2048 ration shops and among these 290 are run by women, said Debbarma and added that altogether 9,59,769 families have ration cards with a total consumer of 37,23,401 persons.

He said that the state at present have 3,55,439 APL ration cards and , priority household families have 4,92,485, ‘Antyodaya ’ cards have 1,08,946,  1205 more families have ration cards(Priority group) under the scheme of Chief Minister  Tea workers welfare scheme.

Till now, altogether 2899 Bru (Reang) families have been provided with Antyodaya ration cards, said Debbarma and added that the scheme of ‘one nation one ration card’ is active across the state .

Debbarma gave details of food grain recruitment for different schemes said that for PDS, ICDS and Mid-day meal supply, a total of 22,000 metric tons food grains are being supplied every months and the state have requirement of 960 metric tons of Sugar, 3174 metric tons of  ‘Atta’ (wheat flour) , 950 metric tons of lentils (pulses) , salt 1850 metric tons and 1700 kilo litres of Kerosene oil.

The review meeting has also highlighted that the procurement of paddy is being purchased through 48 centres and till date, the state government purchased 1.71 lakh metric tons of paddy direct from farmers with minimum support price (MSP), which have a direct benefit of Rs. 327 crore to state’s farmers.

The food department officials said that from April, 2022 the department has started distribution of fortified rice in Dhalai district and from next April, the department will start supplying fortified rice in other seven districts of the state.

The Food department officials also said that the Indian Oil Corporation Limited has taken an initiative to construct a 21,000 kilolitre storage capacity rail depot at Sekharkot area of the state.