The Hindu : Where going to ration shops is a happy experience

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 05, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Where going to ration shops is a happy experience

By Subha J. Rao

COIMBATORE, FEB. 4. If ration shops meant never-ending queues and ill-tempered staff to you, it is time to visit some of the women-run Public Distribution System shops, of which there are more than 100 in this city and doing well.

Though they are mostly located in rural pockets and do not have too many cards to service, the women Self-help Groups (SHGs) have reaped profits by their integrity and ability to communicate.

At a Sowripalayam shop, rice and wheat bags line the floor, which is scrubbed clean with cow dung. Amalorpava Mary and Premalatha of the Annai Kasturiba Women's SHG have been running it for some months now. They also stock soap and table salt. The duo is willing to stock products made by other women's groups.

The two started off with a loan of Rs. 25,000. Today, they earn enough to pay their dues, take home a salary and add to the group's savings.

At nearby Masakalipalayam, the Vaigai Magalir Kuzhu runs a ration shop inside a tiled house. Pickles, condiments, tea, savouries and other household necessities are also stocked there.

Mary Josephine, organiser, says the patronage is good but the number of cards has come down after `H' cards were issued.

To earn a little extra, Mary weaves plastic wire baskets. Even as we are talking, a woman comes in asking for a sachet of tea dust and leaves just as fast. Mary says quick service is one reason why people come to the shop.

``Their products are good and they do not cheat. After this shop was opened, buying kerosene has become easy. Earlier, we used to stand in the queue for hours,'' says Swarnam, a customer.

Another says women customers feel more comfortable in a shop run by women. ``As women, we also interact better.''

S.N. Sulochana, tahlisdar, assistant rationing officer, Circle III, says the SHGs have been allowed to sell non-control items of the Cooperation department. Once the all-women shops were started, some cards were transferred from nearby ration shops to help them start off.

On the other side of the city at Pachchapalayam in the Perur-Chettipalayam panchayat, Maragatham and Sankarammal of the Poongavanam Women's SHG are trying hard to make an irate old man understand why they cannot sell him rice. He does not have a ration card but wants his ``quota.'' ``This is a regular hassle. Since we are women, they think they can raise their voice.''

Housed in a government-owned building this shop has more than 700 cards attached to it.

``We take Rs. 850 each as salary every month and Rs. 500 is put in the group's fund,'' the women say.

Besides rice and wheat, they stock flour, ground by members of their group, and other consumables.

Nanjamma, a regular at the shop, says the duo is pleasing, quick and does not cheat on quantity.

Is safety ever a problem? Maragatham says: ``Not usually. But, things get a little out of hand when we dispense kerosene. Of course, we have other members to help us tackle the crowd.''

Plans are afoot to increase the number of the shops if SHGs come forward to run them.

``There is no fixed number. But, whenever a request comes from the women's groups to operate part-time shops (not open through the week) on a full-time basis, it will be considered. After they undergo training, they can start work,'' says P. Jeyabalakrishnan, Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency.

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