Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Reviews Food and Civil Supplies Initiatives in Sikkim
Gangtok, October 16 (IPR):
Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, Ms Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, hosted a meeting at Hotel Mayfair, Ranipool, today.
The meeting was attended by Minister, Food & Civil Supplies Department and Urban Development Department, Mr Bhoj Raj Rai, Executive Director (East), Mr Manoj Kumar Gogai, Private Secretary, IRTS, Ms Jagriti Rohit Singla, Additional Private Secretary (GAS) Ms Khushbu Suthar, and Personal Assistant to the Minister of State, Mr Chauhan Mahesh Gadabhai.
In her address, Ms Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, expressed her delight at witnessing the scenic beauty of the state and the warmth of the people.
The Minister assured that all major issues raised during the meeting would be duly taken up for appropriate solutions. She acknowledged the concerns regarding road connectivity highlighted by the officials and stated that these would be looked into with due priority.
She also commended Sikkim’s remarkable commitment to organic farming, noting it as an inspiring model for sustainable agriculture in the country.
Earlier, Additional Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies Department, Ms Diki Doma Bhutia, welcomed the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, and expressed gratitude for her visit to Gangtok to review the ongoing developmental initiatives under the Ministry.
During the meeting, a presentation was delivered by Additional Secretary, Public Distribution System, Ms Tenzin Yangchen, and Chief Accounts Officer, FCS Department, Mr Sunil Chandra Sharma. The presentation highlighted key aspects of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), including details of beneficiaries and their entitlements under the PDS.
She underscored major achievements under the Central Sector Scheme “Storage & Godowns” (Focus on North East), noting that the Government of India had sanctioned the construction of ten food godowns. The construction of all the godowns have been successfully completed, and they are now fully functional.
The Government of India has been making consistent efforts to discourage the use of kerosene through various interventions, including reforms in the kerosene subsidy regime, the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), and the rationalisation of PDS SKO allocations to States and Union Territories.
Supplementing the initiatives of the Union Government, the State Government introduced the ‘Sikkim Ama Sahavog Yojana,’ under which financial assistance of Rs 4,400 per annum is provided to women from economically weaker sections to cover the cost of four LPG refills.
As a result of the combined efforts of the Centre and the State, the use of kerosene for cooking and lighting has declined significantly. Consequently, the State has surrendered its PDS kerosene quota and has been declared a PDS Kerosene, Free State with effect from April 2025.
Subsequently, Joint Controller, Legal Metrology Unit and Consumer Protection Cell, FCS Department, Mr. Jigmi Kazi, delivered a presentation highlighting the key achievements of the LMU and CP Cell.
Likewise, as part of Sikkim’s 50th Statehood Celebration, he elaborated on several consumer awareness initiatives undertaken, like,
* A week-long Mega Consumer Awareness Drive and a State level Inter College Quiz Competition
* Display of consumer awareness hoardings at all major petrol pumps
* Nukkad Nataks (street plays) conducted across all districts
Similarly, the event continued with a presentation by General Manager, Food Corporation of India (FCI), Mr Amaresh Kumar, who elaborated on the pivotal role of the FCI Divisional Office, Gangtok, in ensuring food security in Sikkim through effective management of food grain storage and distribution for the Public Distribution System (PDS), defence, and other Central schemes.
Furthermore, under the Divisional Office, Gangtok, there are two depots:
* FSD Rangpo – an FCI-owned depot with a storage capacity of 10,970 MT
* HD Jorethang – a hired depot with a storage capacity of 750 MT
Mr Kumar also highlighted several best practices adopted by the division, including:
* Timely lifting of allocations under NFSA
* Efficient movement of food grains
* Construction and management of godowns under the PEG Scheme
* Close coordination with the State Government
* Adherence to on-time delivery schedules (DOS)
* Implementation of a biometric attendance system
* Maintenance of cleanliness at depots and offices
The meeting also had the attendance of senior officials from the Food Corporation of India, namely, Divisional Manager, Gangtok, Mr B Rangaprasad Naik, Assistant General Manager, Mr Sanjay Kumar, along with senior officials from the Food & Civil Supplies Department, Government of Sikkim.