Gandhinagar, July 24 (IANS) The Gujarat government will provide additional sugar and edible oil at subsidised rates to over 75 lakh ration card holders, primarily Antyodaya and BPL families, beginning early August, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya said.

The initiative, led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, aims to ensure that underprivileged families can celebrate Janmashtami with dignity and joy, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya said.

As part of the special festival relief distribution, one litre of double-filtered groundnut oil per ration card will be provided at just Rs 100 per litre to families covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and eligible Non-NFSA BPL households.

Additionally, these families will receive one kilogram of sugar at concessional rates – Rs 22 per kg for BPL families and Rs 15 per kg for Antyodaya cardholders, beyond their regular entitlements.

The minister further stated that under the public distribution system, Gujarat already provides monthly staples such as sugar, salt, chana, and tur dal to over 3.18 crore beneficiaries through its 75 lakh-plus ration cards.

But in view of Janmashtami and Diwali, the government implements special seasonal relief measures, which include additional cooking oil and sugar at discounted prices to ease the financial burden on economically weaker sections.

Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Bhikhusinh Parmar added that to ensure protein-rich nutrition, each Antyodaya and BPL family will also receive one kilogram of chana at Rs 30/kg and one kilogram of tur dal at Rs 50/kg during the festive distribution.

Furthermore, all eligible families under NFSA and Non-NFSA BPL categories will be provided salt at Re 1/kg per card. He confirmed that the allocation of essential commodities for August 2025 has already been completed in July to ensure timely doorstep delivery to fair price shops across the state.

Distribution efforts are already underway to avoid delays and ensure smooth implementation. Emphasising the government’s commitment to both food and nutrition security, Parmar said, “These welfare schemes are a testament to the state’s determination to ensure holistic development for all citizens of Gujarat, especially the most vulnerable, through inclusive and timely interventions.”

–IANS

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