TN govt announces scheme to mitigate poor people plight

Chennai, Sept 14 (UNI) With a view to reducing the burden of the poor people from the impact of rising prices, the Tamil Nadu Government today announced yet another populist scheme under which 1.86 crore card holders would be provided provisions at subsidised rates through ration shops from October 2.

Talking to newspersons at his residence here, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said ten essential items used in day-to-day cooking like chilli powder, turmeric powder, Coriander power, Bengal gram, Mustard, Pepper, Jeera and other spices, would be provided in a polythene pack at subsidised rates.

The scheme was christened ''Maanya Vilayil Maligai Porulgal'' (Provisions at subsidised rates).

The package, which would cost Rs 67 in the open market, would be sold through fair price shops at Rs 50 and was designed to cater to one month's requirement of a family.

The scheme, to be launched on 'Gandhi Jayanthi', would benefit about 1.86 crore ration card holders across the state and the government would incur an additional expenditure of Rs 100 crore per annum.

The Chief Minister said the programme, aimed at benefitting the poor people and reduce the impact of prise rise on the common man, would be implemented through the special PDS scheme, under which essential items were being sold at subsidied rates through fair price shops.

Mr Karunanidhi said the announcement of a new scheme comes at a time when the Government was all set to launch former Chief Minister C N Annadurai's dream scheme of Rs one-a-kg-rice through fair price shops tomorrow, marking his birth centenary.

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