Essential Commodities through PDS for one more year

Chennai, Jul 16 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu government today decided to extend for one more year, issuance of essential commodities through Fair price shops at subsidised rates for the people of the state.

A decision to this effect was taken at the state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

At the meeting it was decided to sell essential commodities like toor Dhal, Bengal gram, palm oil, maida, rava and wheat flour at subsidised rates, to the people.

It may be recalled that to lessen the burden of the people of the state in the wake of price rise, the state government had announced that essential commodities would be sold through PDS.

The meeting, which lasted an hour also discussed the final report submitted by the one-man Commission headed by retired Judge, Justice Shanmugham, which went into the phone tapping issue. The report will be tabled in the next session of the House.

The government had ordered a judicial probe and appointed Mr Shanmugham as the one man Commission of inquiry to go into the tapping of the telephonic conversation between the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption and Chief Secretary L K Tripathy, which was published in a section of the press.

The state government would study the Commission's report in full and decided to table its response in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

The meeting also discussed in detail the increasing power shortage due to scanty rainfall and decided to hold talks with industrialists on July 18 to discuss in detail to tackle the situation.

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