FCI Zonal Office in Tripura to enhance NE Operations, says Union Minister Prahlad Joshi

Agartala, Dec 29: Union Minister for Food, Consumer Affairs, and New and Renewable Energy, Prahlad Joshi, has announced the establishment of a Food Corporation of India (FCI) Zonal Office in Tripura.

The move is expected to strengthen operations across the northeastern states. The announcement was made during a state-level review meeting at the Civil Secretariat in Agartala on Saturday, attended by Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath, and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury.

Chief Minister Saha assured the Union Minister that a project proposal and land acquisition plans would be submitted to the Centre promptly.

Sharing updates on a micro-blogging website, Joshi wrote, “Chaired a state-level meeting in Agartala with Tripura CM Dr. Manik Saha Ji to review the implementation of key central schemes. Tripura Ministers Ratan Lal Nath Ji and Sushanta Chowdhury Ji were also present."

The Minister also inspected the FCI Divisional Office in Agartala, evaluating storage facilities and quality control mechanisms. Emphasising the importance of high standards in food grain storage and distribution, he wrote, “Visited the FCI Divisional Office in Agartala, conducted an inspection of its godown and Quality Control Laboratory, and interacted with officials to ensure efficient storage and quality maintenance of food grains."

During the meeting, Joshi underscored the need to enhance fair price shop operations and accelerate the implementation of the PM Surya Ghar and PM KUSUM schemes, which aim to promote solar energy for households and agriculture.

Minister Joshi highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts, saying, “We discussed enhancing the operation of fair price shops and improving the execution of the PM Surya Ghar and PM KUSUM schemes in the state. Together, we resolved to address challenges collectively and reiterated our commitment to the roadmap for a developed state.”

As part of his two-day visit to the state, Joshi inspected a fair price shop in Agartala, reviewing Public Distribution System (PDS) operations and biometric machines designed to ensure transparency. He also interacted with beneficiaries to gather feedback for system improvements.

Sources revealed that the Union Minister was briefed on advancements in the PDS, including the phased introduction of smart cards to improve transparency.