TN to toe Leftist line over retail trade issue

Chennai, July 21: Tamil Nadu will adopt the Left model in Kerala and West Bengal to prevent the entry of big corporates into retail trade in the state.

The decision was taken at a review meeting of Cooperative and Food Departments, chaired by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi here today.

An official release said the meeting decided to study the measures adopted by the Left governments in Kerala and West Bengal to prevent big corporates like Reliance entering the retail trade sector and adopt the same.

The meeting also decided to set up an 'Election Commission for Cooperatives' to conduct the cooperative elections, which was recently annulled by the government in the wake of widespread complaints, including from the ruling DMK's alliance partners CPI, CPI-M and the PMK.

Increasing the number of beneficiaries under the free gas scheme this year from five lakh to ten lakh families and releasing Rs 15 crore and Rs 25 crore to Thanjavur District Cooperative Bank and Kumbakonam Central Cooperative Bank respectively to expedite provision of crop loans to Cauvery delta farmers, were among the decisions taken at the meeting.

UNI