Date:15/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/15/stories/2008071551500300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Special PDS introduced to tackle price rise, says Minister

Staff Reporter

Govt. to open ration shops in areas where there is demand

— Photo: N. Bashkaran

Appreciation: Union Minister of State for Law K. Venkatapathy (third right) distributing laptop to a student, who had scored high marks in Tamil, at a function in Krishnagiri on Monday. Food Minister E.V. Velu (fourth right) is also in the picture.

Krishnagiri: The State Government had introduced the special Public Distribution System to help people tackle price rise, Minister for Food, E.V. Velu, has said.

Inaugurating the distribution of free colour television sets and LPG connections here on Monday, he said that the Government had allotted a sum of Rs.2,000 crore for PDS this year.

Subsidy

Under the scheme, palm oil was provided at Rs. 40 a kg, rava, maida and toor dhal at Rs.32 a kg and urad dhal at Rs.36 a kg for eligible cardholders.

The Government was able to provide palm oil at Rs.40 a kg as against Rs.58 a kg in the open market owing to the subsidy provided by the Central Government. Rice was being supplied at Rs.2 a kg to more than 1.95 crore families in the State.

Mr. Velu said that the Government would open new part-time fair price shops in habitations where there was demand even if the total number of cards was less in order to improve the service offered by the PDS.

Welfare aid

The Minister also distributed welfare aid to the tune of Rs. 41.04 lakh to 338 beneficiaries during the function.

Union Minister of State for Law, K. Venkatapathy, said that Tamil Nadu was in the forefront in implementing labour laws and also introducing welfare schemes for women.

The State Government was providing assistance of Rs. 6,000 in instalments during pregnancy and after childbirth.

E.G. Sugavanam, MP, T. Senguttuvan, MLA, K. Rajaraman, Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Santhosh Babu, Collector, also spoke.