Tamil Nadu food department advises ration card holders to buy Toor daal, Palm oil due for May in June 1st week

CHENNAI: The state food department has advised ration card holders to buy Toor Dal and Palm Oil due for the month of May from fair price shops in the first week of June.

Principal secretary of the state and consumer protection department, in a release issued Tuesday, asked the ration card holders who failed to buy palm oil and Toor dal in May from ration shops in the first week of June.

Attributing the delay in finalizing the tenders for procurement of Palm Oil and Toor Dal for PDS to the Model Code of Conduct in vogue for the Parliamentary polls, the release said that the due to concerted efforts of the state government, about 82.82 lakh family card holders were distributed a kilogram each of toor dal and 75.87 lakh card holders were distributed a packet (one litre) each of Palm oil on May 27.

Pointing out that about 24.96 lakh kilograms of toor dal and 33.57 lakh packets of Palm oil have been kept ready at fair price shops, the state food department said that another 8.11 lakh kilograms of toor dal and 7.15 lakh packets of palm oil were stocked at warehouses for supply to fair price shops.

Adding that the remaining stock of the products would be collected from the contractors and dispatched to the warehouses soon, the food secretary announced that ration card holders who were unable to buy palm oil and Toor dal at fair price shops in May could collect the same in the first week of June.

Reasoning that the arrangement was made for the convenience and benefit of ration card holders, the release said that though the department was making all efforts to ensure the distribution of the two essential items before the end of the month, the district supply officers have been advised to make all arrangements for the people to collect palm oil and toor daal at fair price shops in the first week of June.