CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday announced in the State Assembly that 300 Amma Amudham Departmental Stores would be started across Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 37.17 crore.
Making a suo motu statement under Rule 110, the Chief Minister said at present 114 departmental stores were being run by cooperative institutions and 23 Amudham Departmental Stores by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. Since the service of these stores need to be extended, 300 Amma Amudham Departmental Stores would be opened. Already, the State government has been running Amma Canteens and Amma Medical Shops and selling Amma Mineral Water and Amma Salt.
Following the overwhelming response to the edible oil extracted from rice in Tamil Nadu, a modern factory with a capacity of 140 metric tonnes to produce rice bran oil would be established at Tiruvarur district at a cost of Rs 16 crore. This oil is not only used for cooking but also as an ingredient for making soaps and cosmetics. Besides, the oil-free bran could be used as cattlefeed.
The Chief Minister said 39 more godowns with a total capacity of 84,500 tonnes would be constructed at a cost of Rs 112 crore. With this, the State’s total capacity to store foodgrains would increase to 8.36 lakh tonnes.
She said to help farmers in selling their paddy, 100 more direct procurement centres would be set up near the places of production, at a cost of Rs 35 crore. Of these, 75 would be set up in the Cauvery delta area and the remaining would come up in the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram, Erode and Kanyakumari.
Stating that traders and farmers could avail loans with the ‘negotiable warehouse receipts’ they get for the products they store at the godowns of the Tamil Nadu Warehousing Corporation in a scientific manner to extend their shelf-life, the Chief Minister said to avail these loans, the quality, moisture content and grade of the products should be ascertained through scientific tests. For this purpose, modern research centres would be set up at Srirangam, Tiruchy, Tiruvarur, Erode, Arani, Vellore and Villupuram at a total cost of `7 crore.
Jayalalithaa said to provide training to the officials in testing the quality of food products and check adulteration, a Centre for Consumer Education Research, Teaching, Training and Testing would be established at Sholinganallur in Kancheepuram district at a cost of `10.31 crore. After getting the approval from the Central government, tenders would be floated for construction of the centre and the State’s contribution towards the project would be Rs 4.12 crore.
Fast facts
Store more grains
39 More godowns for foodgrains with a total capacity of 84,500 tonnes to be constructed. Cost: Rs 112 crore 8.36 lakh tonnes Total TN capacity to store foodgrains after the 29 godowns are constructed
Paddy procurement
100 More direct paddy procurement centres near places of production to come up. Cost: Rs 35 crore 75 Of them would be set up in Cauvery delta area Edu boost
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