Govt to sell tomato at Rs 60/kg in 500 more ration shops

CHENNAI: The state government would sell tomatoes at Rs 60 per kg in 500 additional ration shops in the state from August 1 to help people overcome rising price of the essential vegetable.

A decision to this effect was made at a meeting of cooperative department officials chaired by Minister of Co-operatives KR Periyakaruppan in the state secretariat on Monday to review the rising price of Tomato in the state. A release issued by the state government in this connection said that tomato would be sold at Rs 60 per kg in 500 ration shops from August 1 in addition to the 302 rations shops where it is sold already.

As per the government release, the 500 ration shops would include 100 in Chennai, 20 each in Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Trichy and 10 shops each in Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, Mayiladuthurai, Namakkal, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Krishnagiri. Going by the government statement, about 15 metric tons of tomato has been procured and sold from June 28 to July 5 ever since the state government intervened to keep a tab on rising tomato prices.

Talking to media persons after the review meeting, Periyakaruppan attributed the price rise to fall in production and supply from neighbouring states and reiterated that the price rise was natural.