The New Indian Express 03.11.2009
Hand-held billing machines for PDS shops
Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin giving away a hand-held billing machine to a woman official in Tambaram on Monday.
Addressing a huge gathering of beneficiaries during the launch of the State Consumer Helpline Centre, Stalin said, “Introduction of the billing machines would arrest malpractices and ensure proper supply of commodities to every consumer in the state.” During the function, he symbolically handed over a machine to an official of the civil supplies and consumer protection department. Such machines were distributed to 1,290 fair price shops managed by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation Limited and cooperatives on Monday alone.
The state government has already earmarked Rs 57 lakh for providing hand-held billing machines and all 30,394 fair price shops in the state would be equipped with such devices for trouble-free billing in a phased manner, Stalin said.
Of the 30,394 shops, cooperatives run 28,368 shops, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation runs 1,197, women self-help groups manage 640, other entities run 181 and eight shops are mobile ones, he added.
He also announced that Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was planning to hike food subsidy from Rs 2,900 crore last year to Rs 3,500 crore this year.
Congratulating Food Minister E V Velu for working tirelessly to ensure proper functioning of the PDS system, Stalin said, “Though I am one of those ministers who travel the most, Velu seems to be touring more than me to every corner of the state to ensure an efficient PDS system.” Labour Minister T M Anbarasan, Mayor M Subramanian and Tambaram MLA S R Raja participated.