Agartala, May 20, 2024: In an effort to combat the artificial crisis created by some traders during the monsoon season, the special task force established at the sub-divisional level in Tripura has conducted a total of 290 raids, resulting in fines totaling Rs 4 lakh.
Speaking to media personnel at Civil Secretariat in Agartala city on Monday afternoon, Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury emphasized the challenges faced by the state during the monsoon, with disruptions to goods transportation from Assam due to landslides and heavy rains. Minister Chowdhury stated, “During such periods, some traders take advantage of the situation, creating an artificial crisis across the state and causing panic among people.”
He further highlighted the ongoing efforts of task forces at both state and sub-divisional levels to ensure the availability of essential commodities at reasonable prices. “Task force officials have conducted a total of 290 raids across the state in the last six months,” he added.
Regarding fuel supplies, Minister Chowdhury reported that the current average daily demand for petrol and diesel stands at 275 kiloliters (KL) and 365 kiloliters (KL) respectively. He stated, “As of May 19, IOCL has a total of 1,700 kiloliters (KL) of petrol and 2,726 kiloliters (KL) of diesel in stock at various petrol pumps, including the depot in Dharmanagar under North District.”
Anticipating the challenges posed by the upcoming monsoon season, efforts have been made to ensure the smooth operation of transportation systems by road and rail to maintain a regular supply.
Minister Chowdhury assured the public regarding the availability of food grains under the public distribution system, stating that the state maintains a stock of 60-80 days’ worth of food grains. Despite recent disruptions in rail services, he emphasized that the public distribution system will remain unaffected.
He provided details on the import of rice, stating, “FCI has so far imported about 9,114 metric tonnes of rice into the state through 147 rail wagons since the normalization of rail traffic on May 11.” Additionally, he mentioned that 21 more rail wagons carrying public distribution rice are expected to enter the state by the evening of May 20.
With these measures in place, the state is expected to have approximately 90 days’ worth of rice stock under the public distribution system by May 31, ensuring continued food security for its residents.
