The Chhattisgarh government had decided to open model fair price shops in each district and also start the sale of essential commodities and banking facilities there.
Food Secretary Topeshwar Verma said on Monday that this was aimed at making the operation of fair price shops more profitable.
Preparations were being made to implement new schemes in the fair price shops as suggested by India Post Payment Bank, the telecom department, oil companies and the Civil Supplies Corporation.
Apart from these, fortified rice will also be provided in the fair price shops from April, he said.
At present, 13,415 government fair price shops operate in the state and ration is distributed to 73.27 lakh families.
About 64.15 lakh underprivileged families get free rice in the state including 21.61 lakh ST, 10.22 lakh SC, 34.78 lakh OBC and 6.65 lakh families from the general category.
Ration card holders of Priority, Antyodaya, Single Destitute and Divyang categories will get fortified rice in place of the normal rice from April. Fortified rice is highly nutritious and healthy. It is rich in iron, folic acid, and vitamin B-12.
