Soon, fair price commodity shops in Haldia

The government will soon set up fair price shops for commodities on the lines of fair price shops for medicines in Haldia. The shops will be set up at Haldia Municipality area and will act like co-operative organisations.

It was recently decided that these shops will be located at crowded places so that large number of buyers could avail the facilities. "Each of the shops will be set up on 1,000 square foot area. The shops wilkl be named 'Roudra-Brishti'," said a source.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee started fair price medicine shops in hospitals. The government is also planning to stock emergency medicines at ration shops across the state so that people living in far off villages can avail them from their nearest ration shops at the time of crisis. Two government departments — state Health department and the Food and Supplies — are likely to tie up to launch this scheme which will immensely benefit a large number of people in the remote villages where there are hardly any medicine shops.

On what will be available in the fair price commodity shops, the source further said: "Day-to-day household commodities will be sold from these shops. The basic intension is to help out common people below or just above the poverty line," the source said. Three places which were recently selected for fair price commodity shops – Makhanbabur Bazar, Sonar Tari near Haldia City Centre and New Market at Durga Chowk.

"The director of State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) sent a letter to Haldia Municipality stating that three such shops will be set up in the Municipality areas. West Bengal Essential Commodities Supply Corporation Limited (WBECSCL) will supply items in these stores," the source said.

The WBECSCL was incorporated by the Bengal government with an objective of supplying essential commodities in the state with a view of stabilise the market price as well as to ensure the availability of such commodities to the people of the state. "Such shops will help out the government to carry out such objectives," the source claimed.

A private agency in Haldia was given the permission to run the shops. The commodities of Sufal Bangla, a project management unit of the state Agricultural marketing, Tantuja under West Bengal State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society, Manjusa under West Bengal Handicrafts Development Corporation and State Fisheries Development Corporation Limited will also supply their products in the shops. The products of individual entrepreneurs will also be entertained.