Hours after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa launched the distribution of rice at Rs. 20 a kg in Chennai on Wednesday, about 22,500 kg of rice was sold throughout the State.
In Chennai alone, around 6,000 kg of rice was purchased by people, according to an official of the Civil Supplies Department. As per the present arrangement, rice at the rate of Rs 20-a-kg is available at 143 cooperative stores in the State; 22 retail outlets of Amudham departmental stores of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, including 19 in Chennai and six stores of the State Civil Supplies Department which are in MMDA colony; Manali, Mint, Perungudi and on Kutcheri Road in Mylapore. If required, more stores would be opened, the official said.
Besides, the commodity will be sold at a store set up in the ‘Aavin’ complex in Nandanam, where the Chief Minister formally inaugurated the sale.
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The official explains that the idea behind the move is to flood the market with rice so that prices of variants of the commodity in the open market go down. Of one lakh tonnes of rice to be made available, 20,000 tonnes are immediately available.
As and when required, the authorities will requisition more quantities from the Food Corporation of India. Adding that that the government sells the commodity on “no profit-no loss” basis, the official emphasises that the scheme is open to all.
Even those who do not have family cards can buy the commodity. Also, there is no restriction on the quantity to be bought.
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