Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma re-launches subsidized Masoor Dal and Sugar Distribution Scheme

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarm re-launched the subsidized masoor dal and sugar distribution scheme for NFSA beneficiaries at Raha.


Masoor dal will be available at Rs. 70 per kg while sugar will be available for Rs. 30 per kg benefitting 2.48 crore beneficiaries across Assam.



It may be noted that the scheme was temporarily paused for two months due to the Vote on Account budget. The program was organized as a modest event at the premises of Suren Patar's fair price shop in Kamarjan village under the Raha assembly constituency.


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Along with free rice, the supply of masoor dal and sugar at subsidized rates will play a crucial role in ensuring the nutritional security of poor families across the state. This scheme will benefit over 70 lakh families comprising approximately 2,48,11,645 individuals across Assam.

In Nagaon district alone, 15,83,080 beneficiaries across 3,85,299 families will be covered. Moreover, 2.36 lakh individuals belonging to 61,614 families in the Raha constituency will benefit from this initiative.


Sarma said that the scheme marks Government’s commitment to people-centric initiatives like Nijut Moina, Nijut Babu and Orunodoi. He said that after the Assembly elections, most schemes introduced by the previous government had remained suspended until the budget session. Following the adoption of the budget in July, the Orunodoi scheme was relaunched on August 1.

On August 6, application forms were distributed for the Chief Minister’s Nijut Moina and Nijut Babu schemes. Today, the subsidized masoor dal and sugar distribution scheme has been restarted from the Raha constituency. He said that the programme was kept modest due to the flood situation in Upper Assam.


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The Chief Minister, moreover, said that although salt could not be distributed immediately due to technical constraints, it will be made available at subsidized rates within a few days. He informed that during the ‘Anna Sewa Saptah’ observed between the 1st and 10th of every month, citizens will receive free rice alongside subsidized masoor dal and sugar.


Sarma also revealed that the government is actively taking steps to fulfil its poll promises of providing mustard oil at subsidized prices. He also informed that steps have already been initiated to include the beneficiaries in Orunodoi scheme who have been previously omitted because of different reasons.

Mentioning that several government works have been halted as administrative resources were busy in managing the severe flood situation in Upper Assam, the Chief Minister assured that with flood conditions now improving, the government will resume welfare initiatives for the benefit of the public.


The Chief Minister also expressed his gratitude to cooperative societies and fair price shops for playing a key role in implementing the scheme to provide masoor dal, sugar, at subsidized rates. Highlighting various Central and State Government welfare initiatives, Sarma affirmed that the government will make every effort to assist the needy people even more than ever before. He also assured that substantial development works would be undertaken in the Raha constituency over the next five years.