Thiruvananthapuram: Govt is aiming to ensure consistent market intervention by Supplyco throughout the year, rather than concentrating its efforts mainly during festival seasons, minister Anoop Jacob told the assembly on Monday.In recent years, Supplyco has focused more on market intervention during festive periods. Govt will now take steps to strengthen and sustain such interventions throughout the year, the minister said while replying to questions during the Question Hour.Jacob said Supplyco had recorded a 13% increase in sales compared with recent years, marking a record turnover. He said the increase indicated that the organisation had regained public confidence. Sales of non-subsidised products had also improved.Govt will examine the possibility of extending the operating hours of the convenience store at Vyttila Hub to 24 hours. If the outlets at railway stations, bus terminals, airports and major cities proved successful, similar stores would be considered in other areas.The increased supply of essential commodities through Supplyco had helped contain price rises during the festival season, he said.On the conversion of ration shops into K-Stores, he said govt was evaluating the performance of the outlets, intended to improve the profitability of ration shops. However, there was no proposal under consideration to sell the 13 subsidised commodities through ration shops.Instructions were issued to adopt a sympathetic approach towards shifting ration cards to the below-poverty-line (BPL) category for those in distressing circumstances, he said. Ineligible cardholders were given two months to surrender their cards. Govt will take steps to provide free food kits to the extremely poor, he added.Paddy procurement for the current season began on Oct 8 after the completion of farmer registration and was expected to reach full scale during the week.Govt is proceeding with plans to modify the existing system of paying farmers for paddy through loans under the Paddy Receipt Sheet scheme and make payments directly to them, he said.Supplyco currently procures 2,200kg of paddy per acre. Govt will examine whether additional quantities could be procured from farmers who produce more than the prescribed limit, Jacob said.
