Chennai, Oct 30:
The Tamil Nadu Cooperation Department on Friday commenced the sale of a special Deepavali grocery kit containing 10 essential commodities for Rs 200 through cooperative outlets across the State, aiming to provide relief to consumers ahead of the festival.
The initiative is intended to make essential cooking ingredients available at affordable prices at a time when household expenditure generally increases due to festival purchases.
The 1,450-gram grocery kit contains Bengal gram dal, green gram dal, dry red chillies, coriander seeds, garlic, tamarind, mustard seeds, split urad dal, cumin seeds and fennel seeds.
The package comprises 250 grams of Bengal gram dal, 250 grams of green gram dal, 100 grams of dry red chillies, 150 grams of coriander seeds, 150 grams of garlic, 250 grams of tamarind, 100 grams of mustard seeds, 100 grams of split urad dal, 50 grams of cumin seeds and 50 grams of fennel seeds.
All 10 commodities will be supplied together in an eco-friendly bag. The items will not be sold separately under this special offer.
The scheme will be implemented through 128 cooperative outlets operated by cooperative wholesale stores, primary cooperative stores and cooperative marketing societies in areas outside municipal corporations.
Cooperation Minister V Gandhiraj is scheduled to launch the initiative at the Marutham Cooperative Supermarket outlet in Red Hills.
The Rs 200 package is intended to provide an additional option for consumers alongside the existing grocery kit priced at Rs 500.
The cooperative retail network has been used by the State government to sell essential commodities at controlled prices and provide an alternative to private retail outlets. The initiative is expected to help families manage their grocery expenses during the Deepavali season.
Consumers can purchase the complete package at the designated cooperative outlets from Friday.