Kerala Unveils Extensive Market Intervention Plan to Tame Onam Prices
Kerala's Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan-led government has launched an extensive market intervention plan to keep essential commodity prices in check during the State's biggest harvest festival, Onam.
The plan features Supplyco trade fairs, subsidised vegetables, additional foodgrain allocations, free Onam kits and anti-hoarding measures to ensure affordable prices and uninterrupted supplies of essential commodities.
Supplyco's Onam Trade Fairs will be launched on August 8, with Chief Minister Satheesan inaugurating the State-level fair in Ernakulam. Three Mega Trade Fairs will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode, while district-level fairs will be organised in the remaining 11 districts between August 16 and 25.
The government plans to release more than 1.29 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 24,500 metric tonnes of wheat through various distribution channels. Beneficiaries will also be allowed to purchase their September quota of subsidised commodities in advance during August.