Minister for Food and Civil Supplies R. Sakkarapani flagged off the sale of vegetables and fruits through vans that the Coimbatore Corporation had readied during the intensified COVID-19 lockdown.
Speaking to reporters at the Coimbatore Corporation’s Central Zone office, Mr. Sakkarapani said the Corporation in coordination with the Horticulture and Agriculture Department had deployed 50 vehicles — a vehicle for two wards each — to cover all the 100 wards in the city.
Twenty vehicles each would be attached to the farmers’ markets at Singanallur and R.S. Puram and five each to the ones at Vadavalli and Sundarapuram.
The vehicles would have the price list for each of the 106 items to be sold and it would be on a par with the price fixed by the Agriculture Marketing Department and as sold at the markets.
The Minister, who was accompanied by Minister for Forests K. Ramachandran, said the Corporation had also planned to allow 500 more vehicles to cover as many people as possible in a short time.
He said that he had instructed the Corporation that all the vehicles be sprayed with chemicals used to control the spread of COVID-19.
Tiruppur Corporation also began delivering vegetables, fruits, meat and groceries to the residents in 60 wards within its limits.
According to Corporation officials, 231 vehicles for vegetables and fruits, five vehicles for meat and six vehicles for groceries (rice, pulses and cooking oil) were approved for distribution on Monday.
About 313 tonnes of vegetables and fruits were distributed through these vehicles within Corporation limits. The demand was relatively low as many residents stocked up essentials on Saturday and Sunday, when the State government allowed the shops to remain open ahead of the lockdown. As the demand is expected to increase in the coming days, the number of vehicles involved in sales of these vegetables would also likely be increased, according to the Corporation officials.
The vegetables could be purchased either individually or in four different types of packages comprising four vegetables (₹ 30), six vegetables (₹ 50), 10 vegetables (₹ 100) and 14 vegetables (₹ 150).
In the Nilgiris, the vegetables will be sold in 240 trucks.
In a press release, the district administration said that bags of assorted vegetables will be sold in the trucks for prices between ₹ 100 and ₹ 200. The vehicles will also sell fruits and will travel to localities in Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Gudalur.
The district administration also released a helpdesk number for farmers who are travelling within the Nilgiris as well as outside to sell their produce.
Farmers who are unable to get a fair price for their harvest have also been asked to contact the helpdesk. The helpdesk number can be reached via phone at 0423-2449760.
In Erode, the sale of vegetables and essentials through 132 mobile vehicles commenced in the corporation limits.
Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan said that 132 vehicles sold vegetables, fruits and essentials in various wards on the first day.
In Namakkal, Collector K. Megraj flagged off mobile vehicles for vegetable sales.
In Salem, over 400 vehicles were arranged by various departments for sale of vegetables.
Dharmapuri municipality also pressed into service vegetable wagons.