Subsidized Masur Dal, Sugar, and Salt for over 13 lakh beneficiaries in Cachar

way2barak, November 8: — The District Administration Cachar, in association with the Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Department, Government of Assam, organized a press conference at the Conference Hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Silchar, on Saturday. Assistant Commissioner-cum-In-Charge Joint Director (Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs), Smt. Junali Devi briefed media persons and held an interactive session on the newly launched welfare initiative of the Government of Assam.

Addressing the media, Smt. Junali Devi expressed her delight at being part of this landmark welfare programme introduced under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. She stated that the Government has launched an ambitious food security initiative aimed at ensuring nutrition, well-being, and economic relief for every ration card-holding household in the State.

Under this scheme, about 2.45 crore beneficiaries, including 70 lakh ration card-holding households, will now receive Masur Dal, Sugar, and Salt at subsidized prices, in addition to the free rice already distributed under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

All three essential commodities , Masur Dal, Sugar, and Salt will be distributed every month in specially packed 1-kilogram packets through Fair Price Shops,” she mentioned. “Distribution will take place between the 1st and 10th of every month during the observance of ‘Anna Seva Din’. However, for the inaugural month of November, it will be conducted between the 10th and 19th through the e-PoS system, ensuring full transparency.”

To ensure fair remuneration and efficient implementation, Fair Price Shop dealers will receive a commission of Rs 2 per kilogram, while cooperative societies engaged in transportation and logistics will earn Rs 1.80 per kilogram. She further emphasized that beneficiaries will collect the commodities only through the e-PoS system, with mandatory biometric authentication for each item to maintain complete transparency.

Highlighting the State Government’s extensive inclusion drive, she mentioned that over 60 lakh new beneficiaries have been added under the Food Security Scheme during 2023–24 and 2024–25, and an additional 5 lakh beneficiaries will be brought under the scheme by January 2026, following digitization.

Reaffirming the government’s holistic welfare approach, Smt. Devi stated that ration card-holding families not only receive free rice each month, but also enjoy free medical coverage up to Rs 25 lakh under Ayushman Bharat and Ayushman Assam, while women members are covered under the Orunodoi scheme.

She also underlined that since January 2023, under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has been providing free rice to over 80 crore citizens across India, ensuring food security at the national level.

Under the newly introduced Assam-specific subsidy, each ration card-holding household will be able to purchase Masur Dal at Rs 69/kg, Sugar at Rs 38/kg, and Salt at Rs 10/kg, with further price reductions proposed from January 2026 to Rs 60/kg for Masur Dal, Rs 30/kg for Sugar, and Rs 10/kg for Salt.

While highlighting reforms in the Public Distribution System, she said that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) introduced in November 2023 has brought unprecedented transparency and efficiency to the process. The State has achieved a 98% online transaction rate for free rice distribution, with special doorstep delivery for elderly and differently-abled beneficiaries.

“Through these transformative measures, the Assam Government, under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, has ensured that every citizen receives the benefit of food security with dignity,” she stated, calling upon GPSS, WCCS, LAMPS, Fair Price Shop dealers, and beneficiaries to cooperate wholeheartedly for the success of this noble initiative.

It is worthy to mention that as part of the simultaneous district-level rollout, ceremonial distribution will be held at all 1,756 Fair Price Shops across Cachar, covering 3.88 lakh ration cards and benefiting over 13 lakh NFSA beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, Cachar District Commissioner Shri Mridul Yadav will grace the inaugural event in Silchar LAC, while Additional District Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, and Block Development Officers will also take part in the inaugural ceremonies in all 7 LAC of Cachar District on November 10.

The interactive session concluded with an open discussion where media representatives expressed appreciation for the District Administration Cachar and the Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Department for their proactive and transparent approach in implementing this people-centric initiative.

This was stated in a press release issued by the Regional Office of Information & Public Relations, Barak Valley Zone, Silchar, Assam.

P.D./November 8, 2025