The Tamil Nadu Government has launched a scheme to sell onions at subsidised prices through ration shops across the State, with Ministers P. Venkataramanan and V. Gandhiraj inaugurating the initiative in Chennai on Thursday.
Onion prices have been rising across the country following reduced crop output amid inadequate southwest monsoon rainfall. To ease the impact on consumers, 1,000 tonnes of onions have been procured through the National Consumer Cooperative Federation for sale through fair price shops.
The onions are being supplied from warehouses in Nashik, Maharashtra, under the Central Government initiative. The State Government has taken steps to sell the onions at Rs. 35 a kg through ration shops.
As part of the first phase, onions will be sold through 8,233 urban fair price shops, benefiting around 80 lakh ration cardholders.
The launch function was held at a fair price shop operated by the Tiruvallikeni Urban Cooperative Society (TUCS Ltd.) in Alwarpet, Chennai. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P. Venkataramanan and Minister for Cooperation V. Gandhiraj inaugurated the sale and distributed onions to ration cardholders at the subsidised price.
