The Hindu : New Delhi News : Flour sale from Mother Dairy to begin next week

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Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009
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Flour sale from Mother Dairy to begin next week

Special Correspondent

Plan to remove arhar dal from the outlets due to lower production

Wheat flour in 10-kg bags priced at Rs.139
‘Why sell namkeens at Mother Dairy outlets?’

NEW DELHI: A fortnight after the scheme to distribute reasonably priced wheat flour from Mother Dairy and Kendriya Bhandar outlets in the Capital was announced by the Delhi Government, its officials on Tuesday said the sale would begin next week.

To begin with, wheat flour will be sold in 10-kg bags that have been priced at Rs.139. Later, depending on the public response, 5-kg bags would be introduced. The price has been kept at Rs.70.

Officials in the State Department of Food and Civil Supplies said they have also decided to remove arhar dal from Mother Dairy outlets as its production is now declining. It has been decided to replace it with Kabuli chana and rajma. At the moment, a number of pulses are being sold through these outlets at rates that are said to be lower than the market rates.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is also due to make some announcements about the Food and Civil Supplies Department on Wednesday. There is a lot of buzz about the issue as the prices of many essential commodities of daily use have shot up sharply over the past few weeks affecting household budgets.

What has been the most worrying aspect is that despite the weather having become a lot cooler, vegetable prices have not dropped as they used to earlier. Many blame government failure to curb the activities of wholesalers for this, while others are equally critical of Mother Dairy and other cooperative bodies that are expected to work towards reining in prices. “The prices of vegetables being sold at Mother Dairy outlets are even higher than the rates at which you can fetch them in the vegetable markets. For example, while onion is being sold by them at Rs.28.50 per kg, the same quality is available for Rs.20 per kg in the markets. Likewise, tomatoes being sold by Mother Dairy at Rs.32 per kg are available in the markets at Rs.24 per kg,” said Ashish Kaul, a resident of Mayur Vihar Phase I.

Housewives are also feeling the pinch of the high vegetable prices. Archana, a resident of Central Delhi, said that with Mother Dairy unable to provide any real relief to the consumers they have been left at the mercy of retailers. “What is the point in selling namkeens of a well known brand at these outlets when the need of the hour is to sell vegetables at reasonable rates,” she asked.

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