The Assam government on Friday announced the prices of subsidised sugar, salt and masur dal and said that the three commodities would be distributed under the National Food Security Act from October.
The move by the BJP-led state government came within days of registering a thumping victory in the panchayat polls and it would benefit 72 lakh ration card holders inthe state.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had in all his campaign meetings harped on the three subsidised commodities to woo voters. The BJP-led alliance swept the polls.
The decision to distribute the three food items was approved in the May 5 cabinet meeting, but the prices of the commodities and where they would be distributed were announced after Friday’s cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Sarma.
Sarma posted on X about the rollout: “Cabinet has approved the distribution of subsidised masur dal, sugar and salt to NFSA beneficiaries from October 2025 in select districts and from November 2025 in all districts.”
“Each commodity will be provided in separate packets to ensure customers have a choice to purchase individual products. Post Govt subsidy, the final cost to the consumers will be: masur dal - ₹69, sugar - ₹38 and salt – ₹10 per kg,” he said.
Currently, a kg of masur dal, sugar and salt are being sold in the open market between ₹100-120, ₹50 and ₹28-50 respectively.
The foodgrain subsidy will become one of the key campaign planks in the run-up to the Assembly polls next year to show that the government had promptly delivered on its promise made to the low income households, a BJP insider said.