Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today launched Amma mobile ration shops. As many as 3,501 mobile fair price shops at a cost of Rs 9.66 crore were launched today via video conferencing.
Palaniswami said that five lakh people will be benefitted by these shops. He added that these shops.will be helpful in serving people at hill stations and forest regions.
The mobile ration shops scheme, was being run on a pilot basis through 43 mobile ration shops in Tiruchi and Tiruppur districts.
At present there are 33,000 ration shops functioning in TN where people, based on their area of domicile pick up the essential goods distributed under the public distribution scheme.
However, it is said that people staying in remote, inaccessible locations and near mountainous terrains have found it difficult to visit the shops usually situated in town centres and villages.
In March, Palaniswami made the announcement on the launching of this scheme in the Assembly and in August, Rs 9.66 crore was allocated for it.
A Government Order released in August said that 5,36,437 ration card holders will be benefitted by this scheme.
“Collectors’ permission should be sought about the time and place of the mobile ration shops. They can be operated in government buildings, local body building, places where people gather in large numbers,” it said.
More numbers of mobile ration shops will be set up in Karur, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Krishnagiri and Thiruvannamalai districts, the order added.