Agartala: Jan 05: In the interests of the common people of the state, the state government has decided to sell 100 gram packets of national soybeans at affordable prices through ration shops. A company has already been appointed by the Food Department to supply swabs to ration shops. Consumers will be able to procure soybeans from the ration shop as per their requirement. The price of every 100 grams of soybean packet will be Rs 16.
Soybean supply to ration shops in the state will begin in the next two weeks. Consumers are expected to get cheaper soybeans in the next two weeks. Sandeep R Rathore, Special Secretary of the Department of Food, Public Procurement and Consumer Affairs, said this in a press conference organized on Thursday. Besides ensuring the food security of the common people of the country, the central government has adopted the distribution program of micronutrient mixed rice and fortified rice under various welfare schemes to meet the minimum nutritional needs of their bodies. This rice distribution program is being implemented in the state from 2021 under Mid Day Meal and Poshan Abhiyan. Also, this rice is being distributed in Dholai district as a backward district under public distribution system. From this year, this rice has been distributed to other districts as well. He said that recently, to improve the storage infrastructure in the public distribution system, a program has been taken to create new food godowns out of various centrally sponsored schemes. A new food godown with a storage capacity of 500 MT has been commissioned at Jilania Belbari. Another food godown with a storage capacity of 1000 metric tons was inaugurated at Udaipur Chandrapur on January 4. If these food godowns are opened soon, it will be of great benefit to the people of the state.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan also continues to provide rice through other schemes. 5 lakh 99 thousand families under the Food Security Act of the State have benefited through this scheme. The government has decided to sell 100 gram packets of soybeans at cheap prices in ration shops. The price of every 100 grams of soybean packet will be Rs 16, which is much lower than the open market price. The appointed supplier will soon start supplying soybeans to the ration shops of the state and within the next two weeks the people of the state will be able to take advantage of the distribution of soybeans at affordable prices, said the Special Secretary of the Food Department. Since 2021, the program of distribution of fortified rice is being implemented in the state through Mid Day Meal and Integrated Child Development Scheme. Also, under public distribution, fortified rice is being distributed in Dholai district of the state as a backward district from April 2022. The distribution of this rice will also start in other districts of the state from April 2023. With a view to further development of public distribution system storage infrastructure of the state, a program for creation of new food godowns has been taken up under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme. Apart from this, a total of four District Consumer Commissions are working properly to protect consumer interests.
The state government has decided to set up a total of three new District Consumer Commissions, one each in North, Khowai and South districts. As a result, the people of the concerned district will not have to rush elsewhere for redressed of any complaints related to the interests of buyers under the jurisdiction of the district commission, said the special secretary of the department.
