Food Corporation of India allocates additional 20,000 MT of rice for state

Guwahati: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is allocating an additional 20,000 metric tonnes (MT) of rice per month to Assam from January in view of the increased number of ration card holders.

The rice is being allocated for distribution to the increased number of Ration Card holders under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

The Commissionerate of Food, Public Distribution, & Consumer Affairs has taken up the issue of the additional requirement of rice for the state following the number of ration cards increasing by 10,73,489. The new ration cards are currently being distributed.

With the addition of new ration card holders, the number of new beneficiaries of ration cards now stands at 42,85,745. The FCI agreed to the proposal of the Commissionerate of Food, Public Distribution, & Consumer Affairs to provide an additional quantity of 20,000 MT of rice per month.

Sources in the Commissionerate said that, before the addition of new ration card holders, the state required 1.08 lakh MT of rice. With the addition of new card holders, the requirement for rice has now increased to 1.28 lakh MT.

The FCI will provide the rice to Assam under the Prime Minister's Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. According to the provisions of the scheme, beneficiaries will receive the rice free of charge.

Commissionerate sources revealed that the rice will be distributed from FCI's 18 locations in the state. Transportation of the rice is arranged by the respective Gaon Panchayat Samabai Samiti, along with transporters. They lift the rice from the designated points and then distribute the same to fair price shops, which then provide ration card holders with their quota of free rice.

The distribution of new ration cards is being done at present. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was present at the inaugural distribution of ration cards to new beneficiaries on January 16, 2024. The distribution of ration cards will continue until January 25.

It should be mentioned here that the distribution of ration cards in the state is being done LAC-wise.

With the addition of 10,73,489 new ration cards, the total number of ration cards in the state is now 66,38,399. The cards covers a total of 2,31,88,213 beneficiaries.

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