Agartala, July 2 (TIWN): In an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Tripura government will soon start free distribution of Vitamin-C enriched juice and fruits among people in urban areas to increase their immunity, a minister said here on Wednesday.

Tripura''s Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said the state government will spend Rs one crore to implement the "Programme for boosting public immunity in the urban areas in COVID-19".

Nath, who is also the spokesman of the Tripura government, said the state cabinet finalised the programme on Tuesday, to be implemented by the Urban Development and Rural Development departments.

"Involving the SHGs (Self-Help Groups), the urban local bodies including municipal corporations and municipal councils, the Vitamin-C enriched juice and fruits would be distributed free among the people in a bid to increase their immunity to prevent the coronavirus infection.

"While the scheme would increase the people''s immunity, the farmers would be able to sell their fruits including pineapples and lemons at reasonable prices," the minister said.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb in a tweet said that a healthy society is the foundation for the socio-economic development of any state.

"Keeping this in view, our government has decided to introduce a public immunity boosting programme in urban areas for next one month."

Deb, who also holds the health department portfolio, said that the fruits would be directly purchased from the farmers. "Teams of National Urban Livelihood Mission would closely monitor the scheme for effective implementation at the grassroots level."

"The Vitamin-C enriched juice and fruits especially pineapples and lemons would be distributed every Saturday in urban localities," the Chief Minister said.

Tripura annually produces 1.30 lakh tonnes of the state''s most exotic and juicy pineapples - Kew and Queen. President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018 announced the "Queen" variety of pineapple as Tripura''s state fruit. The northeastern state has exported the Vitamin-C enriched fruits to Dubai, Bangladesh and several other countries in the last few years.