The Government would open 500 new Sabari stores in the State as part of strengthening the public distribution system and to check price rise, said Chief Minister, V.S.Achuthanandan.
He was laying the foundation stone of the proposed wheat processing centre of the Civil Supplies Corporation at Poonkavu near here on Friday afternoon.
The Chief Minister said the government has also decided to open 50 more Maveli stores and 25 Maveli Medical Stores in the State, besides upgrading 250 Maveli stores to supermarkets soon.
He said government’s effective market intervention could yield marvelous results in checking rise in the price of essential commodities and vegetables during Onam festival. The markets and shops of Consumerfed and Supplyco had witnessed the maximum sale during the Onam season, he added.
Mr Achuthanandan said Supplyco alone had given subsidy worth Rs 105 crore in the previous year.
Presiding over the function, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, C.Divakaran, said stern measures would be taken to ensure quality of food items. He said government would also start rice mills in different parts of the State.
Mr Anto Antony, MP, Mr Adoor Prakash, MLA, Mr Yogesh Gupta, Supplyco chairman and Mr T.T.Antony, District Collector, also spoke.
