Another 252 new ration shops have been opened in the state based on the geographical location of the population. A total of 504 employment opportunities have been created as a result of the opening of these new ration shops. Special Secretary of Food Department Sandeep R Rathod said. He said that as part of the women empowerment programme of the state government, priority has been given to women in providing dealerships for the new ration shops. He said that in order to save the common people as much as possible from the effects of the corona virus, free food grains of 5 kg are being distributed in addition to the regular allocation to the beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana of the central government. A total of 2 lakh 98 thousand 808 metric tons of rice and 4,381 metric tons of pulses have been distributed free of cost under this scheme in 25 months from April 2020 to September this year. Recently, the central government extended the period of this scheme till December this year. As a result, 5 lakh 96 thousand families under the Food Security Act of the state will be specially benefited.
In the press conference, the Special Secretary of the Food Department said that as a result of the concerted efforts of the state government to expand the buffer storage infrastructure of petrol and diesel in the state, Indian Oil Corporation Limited has undertaken the project of constructing a railfed depot with a storage capacity of 21,000 kiloliters at Sekerkote at a cost of Rs 680 crore. The construction work of this project has already started and it is targeted to get completed by the month of September 2025. He said once the work of this new railfed depot is completed, it will be possible to keep a buffer stock of petrol and diesel for about 25-30 days in the state. The Special Secretary said that this year, like other years, the Department of Food, CivilSupplies and Consumer Affairs will provide flour to 9 lakh 53 thousand ration card holder families at the rate of Rs.13 per kg and 2 kg each to the family. And under the Food Security Act 5 lakh 16 thousand families will get 500 gram of subsidized semolinaper family at Rs. 13 per kg. Consumers can collect the allocated materials till 31st October.
In the press conference, the Special Secretary said that 5,123 members of 1,188 APL tea worker families have been brought under the priority group of the National Food Security Act so far under the Mukhyamantri Cha Sramik Scheme. Also, according to the programme taken by the state government to bring permanently resettled Reang (Bru) migrant families in the state under PDS, a total of 2,269 Reangmigrant families have been issued Antyodaya (Bru) Ration Cards so far.
Rathod, said, once the rehabilitation work of the remaining Reangmigrant families is completed, they will also be brought under this scheme.
