Punjab begins process of opening ‘Mini Mall’ in its rural areas
Wednesday, 23/08/2017
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=179736&boxid=58880&uid=&dat=2017-08-23
Chandigarh : Like malls, opened in cities, the process of opening ‘Mini Malls’ (shopping complexes) has been started in the villages of Punjab. This initiative is being started by the Punjab government and its aim is to give competition to big companies as well as to fill the vacuum of purchasing power and provide the grocery at low cost in the rural areas. As many as 62 per cent of the population of Punjab lives in rural areas. Punjab State Civil Supply Corporation (PUNSUP) and Markfed have been assigned to this work, who will open ‘Apna Bazaar’ at district level and with the help of cooperative societies and fair price shops, ‘Mini Malls’ would be opened in rural area. In such malls, items would be sold at lower price than the market. These projects are likely to be commenced from September.
This is a fresh idea of the Punjab government. In the past, ‘Apna Bazaars’, run by PUNSUP, were opened in the state. But with the rise of liberalisation and competition, subsidies were reduced. Due to this, Apna Bazaars were closed. In the meanwhile, the multinational and big companies occupied the markets in urban area, but the rural areas were still untouched.
In the meantime, issues were raised over fair price shops, which had no works or material to distribute. The government added this plan with an employment programme. On August 21, the Food and Civil Supply Department had convened a meeting in the office of Markfed, in Chandigarh, which approximately 70 fair price shop holders attended. The director of F and S Anandita Mitra presided over the meeting. Markfed proposed Depot Holders sell Markfed products. As many as 13 products including sugar, ghee were in its list. There is cattle feed also.
Markfed will release the rate list of its products, soon. PUNSUP is also holding meetings with fair price shop dealers in this regard simultaneously. PUNSUP has to provide 58 products through outsourcing, which include sugar, oil, ghee, spices, pulses, juice, dry fruits, soups, milk powder, biscuits etc. According to the plan of PUNSUP, opening of the ‘Apna Bazaars’ again from district level, which were closed two decades ago, will help in supplying items to cooperative societies and fair price shops. The items will be given to Cooperative Societies and Depot Holders at a lower cost. Customers will also get these items at a lower rate than the market.
Though, cooperative societies also sell fertilisers, cattle feed and other goods, but the fair price shopkeepers are just idle. To join in the scheme of ‘Mini Mall’ one should be enlisted.
For this purpose, depot holders have been asked through a letter to join as members as early as possible. To make the plan successful, government employees and officers have been asked to procure goods from such ‘Mini Malls’. The number of co-operative societies and depot holders in the state is around 26,000. A senior officer of PUNSUP stated that a survey is on for the list and rate of items, which will be provided to the societies and shopkeepers. He said that processes will start in all probability from September 1.
Promoting competition
As many as 62 per cent of the population of Punjab lives in rural areas.
PUNSUP will provide 58 products through outsourcing, which include sugar, oil, ghee, spices, pulses, juice, dry fruits, soups, milk powder, biscuits etc
