Agartala: Mar 26: Food Minister Sushanta Chowdhury has announced measures to address black marketing, including the recruitment of additional food inspectors. Of the 57 sanctioned positions, 29 have been filled, and the recruitment process for 15 more candidates is underway through the Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC).
During the fourth day of the budget session in the Tripura Assembly, discussions centered on the rising prices of essential commodities. Congress legislator Gopal Chandra Roy criticized the government’s monitoring system, highlighting the need for increased food inspector posts and daily inspections to ensure transparency. He also stressed the urgency of filling vacant positions to prevent exploitation by hoarders and wholesale traders. Tipra Motha legislator Ranjit Debbarma raised concerns about adherence to reservation policies in the recruitment process for the new food inspectors.
In response, Minister Chowdhury assured that the recruitment process complies with reservation policies, with 31% of positions reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, 17% for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates, and the remaining for the Unreserved (UR) category. Additionally, 33% of the positions are reserved for female candidates. He emphasized the Food Department’s active efforts to combat black marketing and stated that appointment letters for the 15 approved posts would be issued within 15-20 days.
