Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G. R. Anil on Wednesday flagged off mobile rice outlets as part of a government intervention to curb price rise.
The rice vans, which the State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) has named ‘Arivandi,’ will visit 500 centres to sell rice at subsidised rates to ration card holders. The following rice varieties will be available at 10 kg per card: ‘Jaya’ (₹25 per kg), ‘Kuruva’ (₹25 per kg), ‘Matta’ (₹24 per kg), and raw rice (₹23 per kg).
The public should produce their ration cards to make the purchase, Mr. Anil said.
The ‘Arivandi’ will primarily stop at taluk/panchayat locations that lack Supplyco Maveli stores and supermarkets.
In various districts, the rice vans will be flagged off by people’s representatives, he said.
The mobile outlets started operations in Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod from Wednesday.
They will start rice distribution in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Alappuzha in the coming days.
In every district, the vehicles will cover main centres in a taluk over two days.
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation ward councillor Palayam Rajan presided over the event. Supplyco chairman and managing director Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Deputy Mayor P.K. Raju, councillor Rakhi ravikumar and Supplyco zonal manager Jalaja Rani were present.