Dibrugarh administration launches special ration scheme to boost nutritional support

A CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: In a major step toward strengthening food and nutritional security, the Dibrugarh district administration has announced new provisions for families holding ration cards. The initiative aims to make essential food items more accessible and affordable to all beneficiaries, ensuring that no family is left behind in the state’s mission for food sufficiency and improved nutrition.

According to the directive issued by the District Commissioner Bikram Kairi, the government will continue providing free rice to ration card-holding families. Additionally, each family will be entitled to receive moong dal, sugar, and salt every month at subsidized rates.

Under the scheme, each family will receive rice free of cost (1 kg per month), moong dal at Rs 69 per kg (to be reduced to Rs 60 per kg from January 2026), sugar at Rs 38 per kg (to be reduced to Rs 30 per kg from January 2026), and salt at Rs 10 per kg (unchanged). The items will be available in standard 1 kg packages, ensuring uniformity and ease of distribution.

To encourage transparency and participation at the grassroots level, a small profit margin has been allotted to local sellers and cooperative bodies with shopkeepers getting Rs 2 per kg and village panchayat/cooperatives getting Rs 1.80 per kg.

The government has introduced a comprehensive online system to streamline benefit collection and ensure fair distribution. Beneficiaries must collect their allotted items through mobile or biometric authentication machines, linking each ration card with its respective 1 kg package. 

This digital process will be implemented across all villages to prevent duplication and ensure that the right families receive their entitlements.

District Commissioner Bikram Kairi has urged all ration card-holding families to visit their respective fair price shops starting from November 10 to avail their benefits. For assistance, beneficiaries can contact the district helpline at 1077.

According to official estimates, a total of 15,320 Fair Price Shop (FPS) benefits will be distributed under the district model through direct initiatives.

The District Commissioner emphasized the importance of community participation, urging all eligible families to be aware of their entitlements, collect their provisions on time, and follow proper guidelines to ensure smooth execution of the scheme.

Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma is set to inaugurate the statewide Fair Price Shop Digitization Drive on November 10. The event will mark a significant milestone in the modernization of the Public Distribution System (PDS) under the Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department of Assam.

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