Pulses, cooking oil through PDS in TN

Chennai, Apr 4: As a Tamil New Year gift to the people, the Tamil Nadu government today announced distribution of essential commodities, like pulses and cooking oil, through the public distribution system, from April 14, Tamil New Year's day.

Making a statement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said this was for the first time in the state that cooking oil, toor dhal, black gram dhal, rava and maida flour would be distributed through the PDS in a bid to contain the rise in prices in the open market.

The scheme would be launched in Chennai on April 14 and it would be extended to other parts of the state from the first week of May.

Hitherto, rice, wheat, kerosene and sugar were being distributed through the fair price shops.

Distribution of essential commodities through fair price shops will contain the prices in the open market, he said and added that this followed an announcement made in the Budget presented by Finance Minister K Anbazhagan on March 23.

Mr Karunanidhi said that providing rice under PDS at Rs two a kg, the lowest among all states in the country, ensured that the price of rice in the open market had not risen during the last ten months.

''In order to control the price of other essential commodities used by the people on a daily basis and to protect the poor and middle income families, the government, as an immediate and temporary measure, has decided to procure these commodities and distribute them through the fair price shops,'' he added.

UNI