Thiruvananthapuram: Exploring solutions for the financial crisis, Supplyco run by the civil supplies department of Kerala is planning to start selling liquor apart from essential items. Manorama News reported that Supplyco has approached the state government seeking permission for liquor sale.
Supplyco has envisaged the plan as the government continued to delay payment of the subsidy arrears. It is learnt that the government has to settle crores of rupees as arrears to Supplyco. As the efforts to obtain the pending arrears from the government didn't yield any results, Supplyco has decided to venture into a profitable business to improve its financial situation.
Manorama News reported that Supplyco is mulling this proposal after majority of the officials at this state-run corporation suggested the same.
It is learnt that Supplyco has already approached the Beverages Corporation to know about its operations. If the government gives the nod, Suppplyco will open liquor outlets across the state soon.
Supplyco has been under fire over the unavailability of subsidized products. Economically weaker who depend on these outlets amid the skyrocketing price hike of essential items were forced to purchase from the retail stores. But leaving a large number of Supplyco customers in distress, the LDF government announced its plans to increase the retail price of 13 essential commodities with subsidies that are distributed through Supplyco. A three-member committee led by Supplyco CMD Ravi Mamman has been formed to address the concerns regarding the price hike. According to reports, Supplyco has requested for 20 percent increase in the prices of the essential items.
The 13 items that are distributed with a subsidy through the Supplyco stores are: Jaya rice, Kuruva rice, Matta rice, raw rice (pachari), sugar, coconut oil, red chilli, coriander, green gram, black gram (uzhunnu), chickpea, red cow peas (vanpayar), and toor dal (thuvarapparippu). In addition, a vast array of items, from tea and coffee to spices and coconut oil under the Sabari brand, are sold at lower rates than on the open market.
