It is said that due to high prices in the open market, the prices of pulses and palm oil in ration shops are likely to increase in the next few months.
Under the special distribution scheme in Tamil Nadu, pulses and palm oil are being sold to ration card holders. The Tamil Nadu government is buying pulses and palm oil as products of this special distribution scheme at high prices in the open market and distributing them at low prices.
Accordingly, since 2007, pulses have been sold at Rs.30 per kg and palm oil at Rs.25 per liter in ration shops. Due to this the poor, simple and middle class people are benefiting a lot. For this purpose, last year in 2007, the government bought a kilo of dal for Rs.50 in the open market and gave it to the ration card holders for Rs.30.
Similarly, palm oil was bought at Rs.45 and distributed to ration card holders at Rs.25. Currently, the prices of pulses and palm oil have increased manifold in the open market. In this situation, in the last year 2014-15, the Tamil Nadu government gave a subsidy of Rs.1,800 crore for the purchase of pulses and palm oil. Now this subsidy amount has increased to Rs.3,800 crore.
At present, pulses are selling up to Rs.155 per kg in the open market. Similarly, a liter of palm oil has increased to Rs.95. Even though the Tamil Nadu government is purchasing at this price, pulses are being distributed to ration card holders at Rs.30 per kg and palm oil at Rs.25 per kg.
Therefore, officials of the Tamil Nadu Consumer Goods Trading Corporation have said that they are discussing whether to increase the price of pulses and palm oil provided in the ration, and no final decision has been taken yet. However, it is said that there is a possibility that the prices of pulses and palm oil sold in ration shops will be increased in a few months.
