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Supplyco makes record market intervention

Special Correspondent

Onam season turnover put at Rs.100 crore

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The market intervention efforts of the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) has had a marked impact on the Onam market with the retail outlets of the Corporation registering a combined sales turnover of Rs.100 crore by August end.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran and senior officials of the department told a news conference here on Sunday that this was a record performance for the Corporation. Supplyco had recorded a turnover of Rs.76.87 crore during July. The Corporation's success in making a major intervention in the market was evident from the heavy rush at all the Supplyco retail outlets and the good response to the free Onam kit distributed among 19 lakh below poverty line families to mark the silver jubilee of the establishment of Maveli Stores, the Minister said.

Mr. Divakaran said the Corporation had converted all its 972 outlets into Mini Onam Fairs and opened 55 Onam Markets this time. It also entered into contracts to supply 2,000 metric tonnes of vegetables, including 1,000 metric tonnes of bananas. Last year, only 900 tonnes of bananas and 400 tonnes of vegetables were sold through the Onam fair outlets. All the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns have sufficient stock of food grains and steps have been taken to ensure that 25 per cent of the rice supplied to ration cardholders is raw rice. All cardholders are being supplied one kilogram of sugar additionally in connection with Onam, he added.

Special squads

The Minister said special squads from the department had inspected 452 ration retail outlets and 21 wholesale outlets. Licences of 28 retail outlets have been suspended and action initiated against others. He had personally inspected the FCI godown at Angamaly and 17 ration wholesale outlets and suspended an official guilty of dereliction of duty.

A raid conducted in Thiruvananthapuram under the leadership of the District Collector and the District Supply Officer had helped unearth 84 sacks of parboiled rice, 56 sacks of wheat, 28 sacks of raw rice and sacks bearing seals of different brands of rice.

Mr. Divakaran said he had sent a fax message to Union Petroleum Minister urging him to intervene urgently to avert disruption of cooking gas supply during the festival season on account of the proposed strike by officers in oil companies.

Thomas C. George, Principal Secretary, Food, said the Government has issued strict instructions to officials to prevent diversion of food articles from the public distribution system.

K. R. Jyothilal, Secretary, Food, said the Government would approach the Centre for additional support for the State's paddy procurement programme. Jacob Thomas, managing director, Supplyco, said the Centre has cleared distribution of `atta' made from PDS wheat in five districts in the State.

The atta would be fortified and distributed initially under the `Supplyco Fortified Atta' brand name in Kannur, Palakkad, Ernakualm, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts at a reasonable price, he said.

S. Subbiah, Secretary, Animal Husbandry, and R. Mohanan, director and controller of rationing were also present at the news conference.

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