In a move to bolster the public distribution system (PDS), the Tripura government announced the opening of 51 new fair price shops (FPS) across the state. Besides, the Government will launch a pilot project in the Sadar sub-division regarding the supply of Gomati Dairy Farm products through selected FPS, said Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury at a press conference at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
The Minister also announced that all ration cardholders in the state would be given an additional five kilograms of rice per card at the rate of Rs13 per kilogram in February and March. This will require an additional 10,000 metric tons of rice in two months.
The minister stated, “Currently, there are a total of 2,630 FPS in the state. In the last five years, a total of 252 new FPS have been opened in different districts of the state. Another 51 new FPS will be opened.”
The new FPS will be established by dividing the existing FPS that have 800 or more ration cards under their jurisdiction. According to the state government’s rules, the minimum number of tagged ration cards required to open a new FPS in rural or urban areas is 400.
The new FPS will be opened in the following sub-division:
- Dharmanagar: 7
- Panisagar : 1
- Kanchanpur : 1
- Kailashahar : 3
- Kumarghat: 5
- Kamalpur : 2
- Khowai: 1
- Teliamura: 2
- Jirania : 6
- Mohanpur: 1
- Bishalgarh: 1
- Sadar: 2
- Sonamura: 6
- Udaipur: 8
- Belonia: 1
- Sabroom: 3
- Karbook: 1
In addition to the new FPS, Chowdhury also announced some other important decisions of the Food Department.
The daily wages of 26 women employees working as cleaners in the Central Store of the Food Department at Arundhutinagar in Sadar will be increased from Rs 150 to Rs 306.
Furthermore, milk products produced by the Gomati Dairy Farm, including ice cream, yogurt, ghee, and cheese, will be sold through FPS. Initially, these products will be available at 15 identified FPS in Sadar as a pilot project.
Chowdhury was accompanied by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Secretary Raveel Hemendra Kumar, Commissioner Nirmal Adhikari, and Joint Commissioner Animesh Deb Barman at the press conference.