Soon Tripura government will allot licenses for 51 more new fair price shops (ration shops) across the state. This initiative will further strengthen accessibility to essential commodities for the people of the state, said Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday afternoon,  Chowdhury said that  currently, the state has a total of 2060 fair price shops, among these shops 252 new FP shops has been introduced over the past five years in various subdivisions. The upcoming 51 additions will strategically target areas with a significant demand, particularly those with over 800 cardholders, ensuring wider coverage and efficient distribution.

He said that government to provide additional rice ration at subsidized rate in February, March and  the government has decided to hike the daily wages of 26 women cleaning staff from the existing Rs 150 to Rs 306. This staffs are engaged at the central store of the Food Department.

The Tripura government will provide an additional 5 kg of rice to each ration card holder of the state at a subsidized rate of Rs 13 per kilogram in February and March, said Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury.

Highlighting the latest cabinet decisions of the state cabinet at the Civil Secretariat, the minister said that in order to provide additional rice at a subsidized rate, the department will require 10,000 metric tons  of rice over and above usual requirement.

The new fair price shops will be opened in the North Tripura, Unakoti, Dhalai, Khowai, West Tripura, Sepahijala, Gomati and South Tripura districts.

As per the criteria of the state government, a minimum of 400 ration cards, in both rural and urban areas, are required to establish a fair price shop.

 “Initially, products from the Gomati Dairy Farm, including ghee, cheese, curd and ice-cream, will be sold at 15 selected fair price shops at the Sadar sub-division of the West Tripura district as part of a pilot project,” he added.

Chowdhury also said that the government has decided to hike the daily wages of 26 women cleaning staff from the existing Rs 150 to Rs 306. These staff are engaged at the central store of the Food Department.