Date:04/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/04/stories/2008100453170300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Sale of spices at Rs. 50 launched

Staff Reporter

‘Over 5.15 lakh cardholders in the district will benefit from the scheme’

— Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

Making life easier: Beneficiaries waiting to receive spices at Edapadi in Salem on Friday.

NAMAKKAL: The sale of 10 spices at a subsidised rate of Rs. 50 through the public distribution system was launched in Namakkal and Salem districts on Friday.

The family card holders in these two districts can buy the spices from all fair price shops.

Launching the scheme in Namakkal district, Deputy Speaker of State Assembly V.P. Duraisamy said that over 5.15 lakh cardholders in the district will benefit from the scheme.

Welfare assistance

People will have to pay more than Rs. 90 to buy these 10 spices in the open market.

The Government had introduced the scheme to protect the people from price hike.

Later, Mr. Duraisamy distributed welfare assistance worth Rs. 1.12 crore to beneficiaries selected under various schemes.

Collector U. Sagayam presided. The new scheme will help in enhancing the quality of life of the people, he said.

District Revenue Officer G. Govindaraj, Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies S. Seenivasan and senior officials spoke. In Salem District, Collector N. Mathivanan launched the scheme at a programme held in Edapadi.

Speaking at the occasion, the Collector said that the State Government had already started implementing the scheme to provide rice at Re. 1 per kg.

Over eight lakh cardholders and 85,502 persons covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana in Salem district were supplied rice under this scheme.

He asked the people to take full advantage of the Government schemes to improve their socio-economic condition.

MLAs Veerapandi A. Raja, Rajendran, District Revenue Officer M. Rajarathinam, Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies B. Joghee and senior officials were present.