By TC News Desk
Agartala, January 06, 2022: Tripura government has procured 17,079 metric tonnes of paddy from 7,818 farmers and Rs 34 crore 84 lakh has been spent starting from December 15, 2022 till January 02 last. However, the target was set to procure 35,000 metric tonnes of paddy, said Food and Civil Supplies department Secretary Dr Sandeep R Rathod in a press conference at Civil Secretariat here on Thursday.
He said, “Since 2018 till now, a total of 1 lakh 47 thousand 884 metric tons of paddy has been purchased in the state and a total of Rs 278 crore 83 lakh has been paid to the farmers as minimum support price (MSP).”
“According to another public welfare decision taken by the Central Government regarding free distribution of food grains allocated under the National Food Security Act, 35 kg of rice per month is distributed to every family under the Food Security Act and 5 kg per month to the priority group families at the rate of Rs 2 per kg. Instead, it will be provided completely free from January, 2023 to December, 2023. This free food grain distribution program is being duly implemented in the state from 1st January, 2023”, he added.
Dr Rathod said “In order to provide maximum relief to the common people from the effects of Corona epidemic, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act have been distributed free food grains at the rate of 5 kg in addition to the regular allocation. A total of 3 lakh 35 thousand 165 metric tonnes of rice and 4,381 metric tonnes of pulses have been distributed free of charge under this scheme in twenty-eight months from April, 2020 to December, 2022. 5 lakh 19 thousand families under the Food Security Act of the state have benefited through this scheme.”
Citing a new initiative of distributing of Soya chunks at a cheap price through ration shop, he said “In the interest of the common people of the state, the state government has decided to sell 100 gram packed soyabeans at cheap price in the ration shop. The price of each 100 gram packet of soyabeans will be Rs.16 which is much lower than the open market price. The distribution of soyabeans at affordable prices within the next two weeks. As a result of this move, 37 lakh people of the state will be specially benefited and the ration shops will be more economically prosperous.”
“In order to further improve the storage infrastructure in the public distribution system in the state, the program of construction of new food godowns has been taken up under various Central sponsored schemes. Recently, (November, 2022) a new food godown with a storage capacity of 500 MT was inaugurated at Belbari in Jiraniya and another new food godown with a storage capacity of 1000 MT at Chandrapur in Udaipur was inaugurated on January 4, 2023 which will be commissioned soon”, he also added.
F&CS department Secretary said “The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 has been duly implemented to ensure the protection of consumer interests in the State. Presently one State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission in the State and a total of four District Consumer Commissions one each in West Tripura, Dhalai, Gomti and Unkoti districts are functioning properly to protect consumer interest. Recently, the state government has decided to constitute a total of three new District Consumer Commissions, one each in North Tripura (Dharmanagar), Khowai and South Tripura (Belonia) districts of the state. A notification has already been issued by the Department of Food, Public Procurement and Consumer Affairs to appoint members to form this new commission. Once the operation of this new commission begins, the people of the concerned district will not have to rush elsewhere for redressal of any complaint related to consumer interest under the jurisdiction of the district commission.”
