The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Take steps to sell pulses, oil through PDS in all States”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Take steps to sell pulses, oil through PDS in all States”

Special Correspondent

Karunanidhi urges Centre to take initiative, says
it will lead to
fall in prices

CHENNAI: The Centre should take the initiative to sell pulses and edible oil through the public distribution system (PDS) in all States as in Tamil Nadu to control prices, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said here on Tuesday.

Referring to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) agitation in different parts of the State against increase in prices of essential commodities, Mr. Karunanidhi, in a statement, explained measures taken by his government to control prices.

After an increase in prices of pulses due to fall in production at the national level, the State started supplying them through the PDS at subsidised rates.

This brought down the open market prices. Recently the government extended the special PDS for six more months to help the poor procure these commodities at affordable prices.

Mr. Karunanidhi said prices of pulses and oil in the State were cheaper as compared to other States, and only in Tamil Nadu essential items were being supplied at subsidised prices.

Positive impact

If all States took similar measures, it would have positive impact on prices of the essential commodities at the all-India level, he felt. This would also lead to further reduction in prices in Tamil Nadu.

Mr. Karunanidhi quoted statistics to show that prices of essential commodities were continuously on the rise during the previous regime, and the then Government did not take steps to control them.

Welfare measures

Listing out welfare measures taken by his government since it came to power in 2006, Mr. Karunanidhi said thanks to the supply of rice at Rs.2 a kg through the PDS, Bharathi’s (poet) dream that no individual should go without food had been realised.

Tamil Nadu was the only State where cement was being sold at Rs.200 a bag for the benefit of the middle class and the common people. The government had so far distributed Rs.78 crore as doles to 3.53 crore unemployed youth. Services of about 59,000 employees, who were getting consolidated pay, were regularised.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu