Tamil Nadu - Salem

Government delivering on election promises, says Minister

SALEM: “Realising the sufferings of the poor and needy, particularly after the skyrocketing prices of essentials, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has announced that the Government would provide grocery items for Rs 50 through the fair price shops from Oct 2, Gandhi Jayathi Day,” said State Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam.

Inaugurating the `Re.1 per kilogram rice’ scheme in Amani Kondalampatti, Panamarathupatti and Mallur in Salem district on Thursday, the minister said that officials had already been asked to take a census of the card holders’ families, the Rs 50 sachet would include essential grocery items such as chillies, turmeric, coriander, dal, pepper etc.

“While its price in open market is Rs 67, it will be sold in the fair price shops for just Rs 50,” he pointed out.

Saying that 1.86 lakh families will benefit from the Re.1 per kg rice scheme, Mr. Arumugam added that the off take of rice a month was 2.94 lakh tonnes. “Here everything, from rice to rava, is being sold at cheaper prices when compared to the prices in the open market,” he said.

Pointing out that the DMK Government was not only fulfilling the promises made during the election campaign but also the schemes that were not promised,

Mr. Arumugam told the people not to be misguided by any one. He also pointed out that loans and revolving fund to the tune of Rs 83.23 lakhs to 197 self help groups in all these three places to empower women in rural areas.

District Revenue Officer M. Rajarathinam presided over the function in which Joint Registrar (Co-operative Societies) P. Jogi, MLAs A. Raja and R. Rajendran, Salem Mayor J. Rekha Priyadarshini, former AIADMK minister T. M. Selvaganapathy and others spoke.

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