The first automobile fuel retail vending outlet run by the Department of Cooperation in the delta region was opened here on Friday.
Food Minister R. Kamaraj dispensed petrol to a consumer to mark the inauguration of the fuel station that has come up under Tiruvarur Consumer Cooperative Wholesale Store.
Mr. Kamaraj said that work on establishing two more such outlets in Pattukkottai and Mannargudi was in progress.
Consumers would benefit a lot in terms of quality and quantity from these fuel stations.
The opening of fuel retail vending outlets was one of the steps being taken by the State government to ensure that welfare measures reached the common man, he said.
A total of 138 societies were functioning under the Department of Cooperation in Tiruvarur district.
There were 602 full time public distribution shops and 114 part-time shops to dispense essential commodities to family cardholders. As for the Tiruvarur Consumer Cooperative Wholesale Store, 20 fair price shops in Tiruvarur district and 20 more in neighbouring Nagapattinam district, two kerosene pumps, one mini supermarket, two self-service kiosks, an equal number of medical shops and two Amma Medical Shops were functioning under its management.
Tiruvarur district was predominantly agrarian and hence farmers must make full use of the Kuruvai Special Package announced by the State government, Mr. Kamaraj said.
L. Nirmalraj, Collector; Ravichandran, Senior Regional Manager, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation; Gandhinathan, Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies; Aasaimani, Chairman, Kumbakonam District Central Cooperative Bank, Kaliyaperumal, president of Tiruvarur Consumer Cooperative Wholesale Store, and other officials were present.