Tamil Nadu government launches subsidised vegetable packs for Deepavali

The Tamil Nadu government launched the Vetri Special Vegetable Pack scheme to provide affordable food options for residents before the Deepavali festival.

Minister for Cooperation V Ganthiraj inaugurated the initiative at a wholesale store in Chennai and distributed the first sets of packs to members of the public. The scheme offers a curated combination of 10 essential kitchen vegetables for a subsidised price of ₹100.

Each eco-friendly pack weighs between 2.55 kg and 2.60 kg and includes items such as onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots. The government intends for these kits to protect consumers from price changes in the open market during the holiday season. The sale runs for three days from November 5 to 7 across 218 cooperative retail outlets in Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, the government also deployed four mobile vending vehicles to reach different neighborhoods.

To prevent hoarding, officials restricted the sale to one pack per person. The Cooperation Department stated that it is procuring the vegetables directly from farmers to remove middlemen from the supply chain. This method aims to provide lower prices for shoppers while ensuring better returns for the farmers. The kits are sold at specific supermarkets and outlets rather than through the Public Distribution System or ration shops.