Mee Mart Outlets To Come Up At 51 Fair Price Shops In Anantapur District
Around 27 varieties of non-PDS essential commodities are proposed to be made available through these outlets initially.
AP government has started the Mee Mart programme at 51 select fair price shops in Anantapur district, where essential and other non-PDS commodities are available to consumers at affordable prices.
According to joint collector C. Vishnu Charan, the selected fair price shops are in Anantapur, Atmakur, Bukkarayasamudram, Garudinne, Pamidi, Singanamala, Rapthadu, Kuderu, Narpala, and other mandals. Around 27 varieties of non-PDS essential commodities are proposed to be made available at these outlets initially.
The government has issued clear guidelines to ensure that the Mee Mart initiative does not affect the existing public distribution system (PDS). PDS rice and other PDS commodities will continue to be distributed as usual. Separate sales centres and accounts will be maintained for PDS and Mee Mart commodities.
Mixing of PDS/ICDS commodities with Mee Mart products is strictly prohibited.
Frontier Markets and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) will ensure product allocation, supply chain management, sales, transportation, stock management, IT facilities, and supervision at Mee Marts.
Consumers can purchase the non-PDS commodities in whatever quantities they require.
Authorities said efforts would be made to sell the products below the prevailing market prices and not above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP). Complaints relating to quality, prices, and supply will be monitored by the tahsildars or deputy tahsildars concerned.
The Mee Mart initiative is intended to provide an additional source of income to fair price shop dealers, while strengthening the public distribution network. More Mee Marts will be established in other mandals of Anantapur district in phases, the joint collector added.
