Chennai: Facing criticism over inflation and the rising prices of essential commodities across Tamil Nadu, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government has announced a special Diwali relief measure under which a ‘Vetri Special Vegetable Combo’ containing 10 varieties of vegetables will be sold for Rs 100 at cooperative stores.
The vegetable kits will be sold for three-days, from 5 to 7 November, through 218 selected retail outlets of cooperative wholesale stores and cooperative societies, along with four mobile vegetable vans in Chennai. The Co-operation Department issued detailed operational guidelines on 3 November, directing that the packs must be sold strictly at the fixed price of Rs 100, only as a complete combo, and limited to one pack per consumer.
Each pack contains 500 grams of big onions, 500 grams of tomatoes, 250 grams of brinjal, 250 grams of potatoes, 200 grams of carrots, 200 grams of beans, 100 grams of green chillies, 100 grams of lemons, 50 grams of ginger, and one coconut weighing between 400 and 450 grams. The total weight is approximately 2.55–2.6 kg. The vegetables will be packed in an eco-friendly bag and cannot be sold individually.
The government has fixed the consumer price at Rs 100. The difference between the actual procurement cost and this sale price, along with the Rs 2.5 packing cost, will be met from the Co-operative Education Fund. The current market rates in Chennai and across Tamil Nadu for the same quantities typically work out to about Rs 180 or more, depending on quality and location, meaning buyers will receive a subsidy of about Rs 80 on each pack.
The initiative comes at a time when prices of onions, tomatoes, beans, green chillies, ginger and other daily essentials have drawn public and political criticism in the run-up to Deepavali. Cooperative department officials said the move is aimed at helping families celebrate the festival without the burden of high vegetable prices by making essential produce available at a reasonable rate through the cooperative network.
Dr K. M. Shivakumar, Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics Department at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, calls the move a very good initiative by the market intervention scheme of the Tamil Nadu government. “Nearly 3 kg of vegetables for just one fourth of the retail price will be distributed through cooperative outlets, which is expected to help the households on tight budgets during the festive season,” he told ThePrint.
This is not the first time an exclusive scheme has been brought for Tamil Nadu festival support by the government. Festival hampers and discounted essential commodities have long remained a strong public expectation in Tamil Nadu and were distributed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam governments too. The annual Pongal gift scheme, covering over two crore rice ration card holders, has become an entrenched tradition. These packages typically included rice, sugar, a sugarcane stalk, clothes such as sarees and dhotis, and varying amounts of cash assistance.
Long queues at fair-price shops are a regular sight during the festive season; any reduction or omission of the cash component has repeatedly triggered disappointment among beneficiaries. Diwali support has traditionally taken a different form, relying more on cooperative outlets to offer subsidised grocery kits of dals, spices, tamarind and other non-perishables rather than universal free hampers.
The recent Rs 200 grocery kit and the new Rs 100 Vetri Special Vegetable Combo continue this pattern of using the cooperative network to deliver practical price relief. Bhanumurthy N.R., Director of the Madras School of Economics, says that such scheme with an income slab limitations should be implemented effectively, ensuring quality of items distributed as well.
“Such measures are generally received positively by lower and middle-income households as timely help that eases festival expenses, though their reach is more limited than the statewide Pongal distribution. This is something that people now expect from the government because low and middle income families or those in farming sector do not get bonuses such as that of corporate, so they need these initiatives. Since Tamil Nadu has a practice of such exclusive social welfare schemes for festivals, they cannot be stopped once started,” he told ThePrint.
The cooperative have been directed to ensure quality, proper storage, transport and distribution so that the vegetables reach consumers in good condition during the short window. The special packs will be available at designated cooperative outlets and Chennai mobile vans from Thursday.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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