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Get everything at cost price at Deepavali Bazaar

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

Bustling with shoppers: The popular firecrackers stall at the PAPSCO Deepavali Bazaar in Puducherry.

PUDUCHERRY: You get sugar at Rs. 12.75 a kg at this bazaar managed by Puducherry Agro Products, Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (PAPSCO). The venue is Anna Thidal.

This is their 16th Deepavali Bazaar, and the PAPSCO cost price shop has thoor dhal from Sholapur, chillies from Tumkur, urad dhal from Karaikal and jaggery from Erode among other products purchased at source. Not just provisions, the Deepavali Bazaar, which sports 70 stalls, also has fireworks, cloth from Amudasurabi, Puducherry Khadi and Village Industries Board (PKVIB) and Pontex, sweets, Achi Masala, stalls selling cashews from Panruti and spices from Ooty.

Crackers are being sold at the cost price, with customers being given printed price lists. The same rates have been maintained from the time the bazaar was opened on October 26. PAPSCO also sells crackers in 11 other places, including ECR Krishna Nagar, Kasthurbai Nagar, Goubert Thirumana Nilayam and Marapalam Municipal Complex.

The PKVIB stall offers a discount of 20 per cent on silk saris and 40 per cent on khadi and polyvasthra items. Evenings at the bazaar are really busy, but since billing is done at each stall there is not much difficulty to shop here.

“Since our work is mainly price control through market intervention we open the bazaar and provide goods at lesser price than that one normally finds in the market. We are selling sugar at Rs. 12.75 a kg, whereas in the open market sugar is priced at Rs. 13.50. Chief Minister N. Rangasamy arranged for us to purchase sugar from the sugar mill at open market rate and sell it at a subsidised rate,” said R.G. Anbalaghan, Managing Director of PAPSCO.

Last year’s PAPSCO Deepavali Bazaar saw a sales of Rs. 1.27 crore through 2 lakh customers. This year, they expect a sale of at least Rs 2 crore through the visit of 3 lakh customers. The first bazaar saw a sales of Rs. 17 lakh. PAPSCO has set up these bazaars at six places, including Anna Thidal, Thirukanur, Bahour, Villianur, Kariamanikkam and Karaikal.

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