Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Christmas Metro Fair of the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) at Putharikandam Maidan here on Tuesday.
Mr. Vijayan said the fair was part of the government’s market intervention efforts for which it had allocated Rs.150 crore in the State Budget. If need be, this amount would be increased.
Special fairs would be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, and Thrissur districts. All Supplyo supermarkets, People’s Bazaars, and hypermarkets would host the Christmas fairs.
In all, 441 Christmas fairs would be held in the State. Christmas fairs would be held in Alappuzha too this year.
Thirteen essential commodities, including chillies, coriander, green gram, black gram, Bengal gram, split red gram, sugar, rice, and coconut oil, would be made available at these fairs at prices 16 to 50 per cent less than the prices in the open market, he said.
It was also announced in the budget that prices of select products would not be increased in Supplyco outlets.
Losses
Supplyco, Mr. Vijayan said, had incurred a loss of Rs.242 crore till September this year owing to its market intervention efforts.
However, it was not profit or loss that was important but benefit to consumers. Supplyco had supplied 32,778 tonnes of pulses, 34,472 tonnes of rice, and 20,058 tonnes of sugar at low prices in this period.
The government also directed that quality produce should be made available to consumers across all Supplyco outlets.
Supplyco should also bring about changes in its functioning and adopt modernisation wherever needed, the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister also gave away Sabari-Maveli Onam prizes on the occasion.
Minister for Food P. Thilothaman who presided over the function said that in the wake of reports of increase in price of rice by up to Rs.5, exclusive rice stores would be started if need be.
Minister for Electricity Kadakampally Surendran inaugurated the first sale of Maveli and Sabari products.
