Chennai: Chennai corporation is likely to start selling garments including vests, briefs, T-shirts, carpets all imported through Tirupur Area Development Corporation (TADC). Back to back meetings are being conducted at Ripon Buildings, Chennai corporation headquarters, in preparing the list of items to be sold in Amma markets, a chain of new retail outlet planned by the corporation, sources said.
The weekly market is likely to sell kitchen provisions, foodgrain, groceries, plastic items and utensils. The latest buzz is that the civic body is also holding talks with TADC, animal husbandry and the horticulture department so that besides clothes, mutton, chicken and organic spinach can also be sold in these weekly markets. A corporation official had also been instructed to explore the avenue for selling traditional medicines and cosmetics including nail polish, sandal powder, soap and hair drier.
While Tantea will supply tea powder, fisheries department had been requested to furnish the list of fishes that it can supply to corporation, once the markets are set up. The concept of the wholesale market is to help public fight inflation in Chennai, a senior official involved in the final blueprint of Amma Sandhai told Deccan Chronicle. The pet project will function under the module called as ‘Ammaa’ - All Manufacture Material Available Avenue – which will procure wholesale materials from manufacturers and sell them to those residing in Chennai corporation limits.
With the state exempting 14.5 per cent commercial tax, value added tax and the expenses due to marketing and advertisement, the materials sold in Amma markets will be at least 30 per cent cheaper compared with other retailers, the official said. When asked about the feasibility and the economics behind the Amma module, people initially thought Amma canteen a joke, but the truth is that foreign county councils are now following Chennai in setting up Amma canteens, the official said adding mayor Saidai S. Duraisamy last week shortlisted three places in Chennai (Arumbakkam, Mint and Thiruvanmiyur) to set up the markets.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Chandra Mohan on Thursday, instructed field engineers to study logistics and infrastructure including parking space that has to be put in place for Amma markets to be thrown open shortly.
