V. Sajeev Kumar

TODAY, Onam is not just the festival of Keralites, but has also acquired a national status. It is even celebrated across the seas with fervour.

It is a festival that remembers the golden reign of the legendary King Mahabali, during whose reign Kerala is believed to have prospered. Significantly, the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco), through its Maveli chain of retail stores, has contributed to bringing back those golden days by assuring fair price, quality products and insulation against evil trade practices. Maveli offered a new experience to Keralites, which helped it and Supplyco become household names in no time. Quality products and subsidised pricing are the twin advantages that Supplyco extends to the consumer.

Fairs for the festive season

Dr Jacob Thomas, Chairman and Managing Director, said that Supplyco has taken precautionary measures during the Onam festival period till September 14 to prevent price hike in the open market, considering Kerala is a consumer State. The Onam Metro Fairs have started in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode from August 30. All essential commodities and consumer items — low price and good quality — are available without any restriction.

District fairs have also started. As many as 86 Onam markets will also be opened at major taluk centres from September 10-14. The Corporation has also provided commodities for sale through 1,300 Onam markets run by the State Co-operative Department. Supplyco's Maveli Stores, `Labham' markets, and Sabari Super Markets are equipped with sufficient stock to meet the Onam demands. All these fairs and outlets offer low price to consumers. Sabari brand products such as Sabari Matta rice, Sabari Curry powders, coconut oil, and palmolein are sold without any restriction on quantity.

Ensuring transparency in its functions

Supplyco's efforts to supply essential commodities at fair prices through the Onam Fairs have started yielding results. During this year's Onam Fair, Supplyco is expecting a turnover of Rs 7 crore from the market, as against Rs 4.65 crore in 2004. It had achieved a turnover of Rs 3.60 crore and Rs 3.44 crore in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

Supplyco shifted its focus, and changed its method of functioning in October 2005, while continuing to run Maveli stores. The corporation has started making profits due to the reduced purchase price, and open and transparent purchase system. These also help the corporation to maintain a stable price in the market. Monopolised supply of commodities through commission agents has been prevented. The operating profit for the half-year period between October 2004 and March 2005 was Rs 1,387 lakh. The profit run continues in 2005-06 also.

Changes for the better

E-tendering, introduced by the Corporation, enables participation of more tenders from anywhere in the world, thereby increasing competition. This ensures the entry of genuine suppliers from the production centres of other States. The introduction of a payment system at the receiving depot itself also enables spot payment to suppliers. The supplier will get ready payment on the same day as delivery of goods through a demand draft couriered to them. This reduces unnecessary delay and complexity in payment procedure which, again, results in the reduction of purchase cost.

The practice of advance payment for purchasing free sale of sugar has been stopped and thus sugar could be purchased at lower total cost. The transportation cost from sugar mills in other states to corporation depots has also been reduced substantially now. Enhancement of receiving depots from 34 to 56 in November 2004 has facilitated timely delivery of commodities to retail outlets, and reduced additional handling and transportation cost. Thus, all Maveli stores and Sabari stores will source their requirements from one place in their own taluk. Complete computerisation of all depots for faster communication and feedback was started in February 2005. A marketing and distribution network has been provided with mobile phones for faster and timely co-ordination. Thus all taluk-level marketing and quality assurance officers of the 56 depots have been brought under one communication network.

For a better reach

The corporation is implementing its redefined mission of "providing essential requirements to the reach of everyone" by opening about 1,400 Sabari Stores throughout the State. Thus, every panchayat in Kerala has at least one place where people will get products at Supplyco rates. Sabari Super Markets have been opened with advanced features to attract more customers. Supplyco had started 42 more Maveli store in 2004-05, compared to 21 in the previous year.

Supplyco has recently introduced the paddy procurement scheme as a market intervention programme to protect the interests of paddy farmers in Kerala as well as to provide quality rice through the PDS. The corporation has already started the process of procuring 4,59,673 quintals of paddy from farmers distributed in five districts of Kerala through 44 societies. It is in the process of launching Sabari brand Coconut Oil and Palm Oil at a reasonable price. The manufacturing facility for Sabari brand products has been increased from one unit at the State-level to two units, for the south and north regions separately, from April this year.

Quality is the buzzword

Quality assurance has been given a clear focus since 2005 with the appointment of `Prevention of Food Adulteration' (PFA) nominees in each district for the first time in the history of the corporation. The constitution of a three-member Quality Assurance Committee at each of the 56 depots ensures implementation of the PFA Act, and an effective, transparent quality assurance mechanism. Moreover, a retailers' quality watch committee has started functioning in each taluk for quality management.

Steps have been taken to ensure the quality of rice and pulses distributed to school children through guidelines on quality and storage to the corporation staff and school authorities. The authorities have also developed a mechanism to get feedback from schools for effective implementation of quality assurance.

Due to reduced purchase rates, noon feeding issue price has been reduced up to 30 per cent. This has, in turn, helped the department of education save on this expenditure.

Supplyco has also initiated steps for setting up its own processing and packing centres in three regions for better quality assurance of processed products at reasonable prices.

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