A total of 44 new fair price shops – 11 full time and 33 part time – were opened in Dharmapuri district in the last four years, said P. Palaniappan, Minister for Higher Education, here on Sunday.
Speaking at the inaugural of the 62nd All India Cooperative Week celebrations at the Government Engineering College premises, Settikarai near here, Mr. Palaniappan said that 16 part time ration shops were opened in the tribal villages alone. The part time ration shops were opened in the tribal areas of S. Dadapatti; Kamaraj nagar; Poonaiyanur; Ganapathipatti pudur; Malakappadi; Savulur; VOC Thidal; Mottur; Nadur; Aavarankattur; Vadakathiyankottai; Kuppanur; and Varadapatti.
The Minister said that the government itself paid the 7 per cent interest for the farm loans procured by the farmers, if they repaid the same promptly. In the last four years, the government provided a subsidy for the interest to the tune of Rs. 24.38 crore to 92,584 farmers.
The Minister gave away loans to the differently abled, women entrepreneurs, women self-help group members, macro credit etc to the tune of Rs. 17.5 crore to beneficiaries on the occasion. He presented awards to outstanding cooperative societies.
The Minister distributed laptops to 193 students of Mukkalnayakkanpatti Government Higher Secondary School during the function.
K. Vivekanandan, Collector, presided over the function. T.M. Nagarajan, District Panchayat president, K.P. Anbalagan, MLA, J. Sumathi, Chairperson, Dharmapuri Municipality and others spoke.
