Residents protest non-availability of commodities

The card-holders said they had queued up at the fair price shop from noon, many of them missing lunch so that they could get their share of kerosene.

However, even after waiting for nearly four hours, they did not get the fuel and, hence, resorted to the protest.

Amala, a homemaker from Lakshmi Nagar in Mudichur, said that for months they were receiving essential commodities far less than their actual requirements and what they were eligible for. Personnel from Peerkankaranai reached the spot and the agitated residents, mostly women left the spot only after an assurance that the problem would be sorted out in a couple of days and that they would start receiving regular supply of all essential commodities without any shortage.

Officials of the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection said the problem was due to a slight confusion in logistics. They were sending all the essential commodities as per the requirement of each fair price shop. They refuted allegations that commodities were being pilfered at the outlet.

There were demands from elected representatives and residents for opening new fair price shops as existing ones in many areas of the city suburbs catered to much more cardholders than they could handle.

They were working with the Kancheepuram district administration and urban and rural local bodies on this count, the officials added.

Authors: Commodities - Yahoo! News Search Results

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