Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam on Saturday inspected mobile shops selling vegetables at a subsidised rate in the flood-hit areas of Chennai and nearby areas. The sale is being coordinated by the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture and Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business. The daily target is 20 tonnes.
“We have been selling them since Wednesday, and the Minister participated in the event today,” said an official.
The areas that required vegetables were prepared by the Revenue Department and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), and a total of 100 vehicles are being used to sell vegetables. “In the first two days, we sold 18 types of vegetables, including capsicum, carrot and beetroot. Now, we have reduced the varieties by nine since procuring them has become difficult. But we regularly sell onion, tomato, potato, chillies, and ginger,” the official said.
The sale was carried out in places such as Pallikaranai, East Tambaram, Mudichur, Selaiyur, Manali, Kodungaiyur, and Madhavaram. “Everyday, we start at 8.30 a.m. and intimate people using loudspeakers. Today, we sold 85% of our stock of vegetables before 10.30 a.m.,” the official said.
Asked till when the mobile shops would be operated, the official said sales would wind up on Sunday since private shops had reopened in many areas. “There is competition between us and them. In places such as Avadi and Ambattur, they have reduced the price by ₹2,” the official said.
A decision on continuing the sale will be taken depending on the requirement. Apoorva, Agriculture Secretary; S. Natarajan, Commissioner, Agriculture Marketing and Agri Business; and R. Brinda Devi, Director, Horticulture and Plantation Crops, were among those present on Saturday.
