50 mobile shops selling veggies, fruits hit roads

Coimbatore: Minister for food and civil supplies R Sakkarapani, along with forest minister K Ramachandran, flagged off 50 vehicles to sell vegetables and fruits at residents’ doorsteps, at the city corporation’s central zone office on Monday.
The state government initiative will ensure uninterrupted supply of essential items during the lockdown period, Sakkarapani told reporters. “The city corporation, in coordination with horticulture and agriculture departments, launched the drive. The vehicles will reach all the 100 wards of the city. In addition, the corporation has also asked traders of daily markets to sell vegetables using their own vehicles and granted permission to 500 more vehicles.”
“Arrangements have been made to sell about 105 varieties of fruits and vegetables through the vehicles. All vehicles display a price list and price are similar to the farmers’ markets,” the minister added.
A statement from the collector’s office said that the vehicles are attached to four farmers’ markets at Singanallur, RS Puram, Vadavalli and Sundarapuram. An assistant commissioner-rank official is coordinating and monitoring the drive. Similarly, 15 vehicles are deployed in 36 wards of Pollachi municipality limit, 33 in 33 wards of Mettupalayam municipality limit, 15 in 21 wards of Valparai municipality limit, 60 in 37 town panchayats and 228 vehicles in 228 village panchayats in the district. A total of 401 vehicles are deployed for mobile sales in the district, a statement from the collector’s office said.