Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New and Renewable Energy, Prahlad Joshi on two days visit to the state arrived Agartala on Saturday and chaired a high-level state meeting in Agartala to assess the implementation of pivotal central schemes in Tripura.

The meeting, attended by Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath, and Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, highlighted a collective commitment to accelerating the state’s development.

Earlier, in the day Chief Minister Dr Saha welcomed Joshi at Civil Secretariat and stated “Delighted to welcome Hon'ble Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi Ji at the State Secretariat today.Looking forward to a fruitful discussion.”

Speaking after the meeting, Minister Joshi stated, “We deliberated on improving the operations of fair price shops and enhancing the implementation of transformative schemes like PM Surya Ghar Yojana and PM KUSUM in Tripura. These initiatives are pivotal for ensuring energy self-sufficiency and benefiting farmers.”

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha echoed the sentiment, saying, “Tripura is on a mission to excel in development parameters. The roadmap discussed today strengthens our resolve to overcome challenges and deliver progress for every citizen.”

As part of his visit, Minister Joshi inspected a Fair Price Shop in Agartala. During his visit, he reviewed the functionality of biometric machines installed for ration distribution. “The biometric system is a critical step towards ensuring transparency and fairness in ration distribution,” he remarked. Joshi also interacted with beneficiaries to gather feedback, emphasizing the importance of community engagement in improving public services.

The minister later visited the FCI Divisional Office in Agartala, where he inspected the godown and the Quality Control Laboratory. Interacting with officials, he stressed the need for efficient storage systems and adherence to stringent quality standards for food grains. “Our focus is to ensure that every grain stored and distributed meets the highest quality benchmarks,” he added.

The visit reflects the Union Government’s commitment to closely monitoring the implementation of central schemes and ensuring their efficacy at the grassroots level.