Idukki: The Kerala government is set to launch mobile ration shops for tribal people in two taluks of the Idukki district. The scheme will benefit two settlements of the Santhanpara grama panchayat in Udumpanchola Taluk; Aduvilanthankudi and Shankarapandianmettu, and three of the Munnar grama panchayat in Devikulam Taluk; Nallathanni, Kadalar, and Naimakkad.

Kerala Minister for Food and Public Distribution, G R Anil, will inaugurate mobile ration shops in Udumpanchola Taluk on Saturday. The meeting is scheduled for 10:30 am at Panniyar, and Udumpanchola MLA M M Mani will preside over the function. The minister will then head to another event scheduled at 2 pm on the same day at Nayamakkad and will inaugurate the scheme in Devikulam Taluk at a function presided by MLA Adv A Raja.

Currently, tribal people are forced to travel two to five kilometres from their settlements to collect their rations. To alleviate their hardships, District Supply Officer Baiju K Balan announced that starting on October 10, the officers from the department will begin delivering food items directly to the doorsteps of tribal people.

"The Taluk Supply Officers have already been instructed to deliver the items from the respective godowns to the ration shops in the regions in advance. In some settlements, we are expected to complete the delivery in a day, while in others, it may take at least two days. The scheme is already active in Pattayakudi, a tribal settlement in Thodupuzha, with officers reaching out to the areas every second Saturday," said Baiju.