Tripura govt to give 1kg sugar, 2kg flour to 9.83 lakh ration cardholders for free

Agartala: Tripura govt Friday said the 9.83 lakh ration cardholders in the state will get sugar, flour and semolina (suji) free of cost ahead of Durga Puja. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by CM Manik Saha a day earlier.Govt spokesperson Sushanta Chowdhury said, “We have decided to offer 1kg of sugar, 2kg of flour and 500 gram of semolina free to all the ration cardholders a week before Puja begins, and Rs 6.84 crore has already been set aside for the purpose.” “About 3000MT of sugar has already reached the state and distribution through ration shops has commenced,” he added. These items were previously offered at subsidised rates through PDS, but the govt is making an exception this year.Chowdhury, who is also the food and supplies minister, said the govt is planning to upgrade the ration cards. The existing paper ration cards will soon be replaced with PVC or smart cards. “We aim to issue these cards to all ration cardholders under the jurisdiction of Agartala Municipal Corporation by December. In the next three months, we will expand this to the rest of the state for those who have completed their e-KYC,” Chowdhury said.

Plaints over ration cards, cylinder at 500 at Praja Palana

At a Praja Palana programme in Hyderabad, many attendees complained about not receiving domestic gas cylinders at Rs 500 and requested new ration cards. Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy assured that all eligible families would be covered under the scheme and urged people to apply for ration cards in October.

Telangana mulling one state, one digital card for all govt schemes

The Hyderabad state government is set to introduce a smart digital card for families to access medical care, ration, and welfare benefits. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has tasked officials with studying similar programs in other states and submitting a comprehensive report. The initiative will begin with a pilot program in selected urban and rural areas.

Tripura demands upper cap on airfare in Agartala sector, government unhappy with airlines

Tripura's government expresses dissatisfaction with aviation companies for not reducing airfares despite a significant tax cut on aviation turbine fuel. Although VAT was reduced from 16% to 1%, airfares between Agartala-Kolkata and Agartala-Guwahati remain high. The state seeks intervention from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to cap fares and improve services.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.