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News of Jan
3, 2007
Gujarat Now Has Its 'Rural Malls'
Ahmedabad, Jan 3
Model fair price shops, grandly described by the government as micro
rural malls, are springing up all over Gujarat where village people
can shop for all their needs 24x7.
Already 512 such 'malls' have sprouted and another 508 are on the
anvil. The state government plans to have 1,000 such malls every
year, official sources told IANS.
The 'malls' are in effect model fair price shops under a programme
launched to de-regulate the scope of services of fair price shops by
allowing them to deal with all kinds of goods and services. The
revamping of the public distribution system undertaken by the
state's department of civil supply is the first of its kind
initiative in India, the sources said. There are about 15,000 fair
price shops all over Gujarat.
Encouraged by the success of programme, the state has suggested to
the central government that the programme be included in the list of
plan schemes.
At the rural malls, people can buy not just grains, fortified flour
and edible oils and other essential commodities but also get gas
cylinders, cosmetic items, recharge vouchers, fertilizers, seeds and
packaged goods.
The sources said the malls were proving to be viable commercial
centers, meeting diverse needs of villagers.
The concept seeks to make the model fair price shops meet the retail
needs on the lines of the modern market, while controlling at the
same time the practice of leakages and diversion of essential goods
meant for vulnerable sections of the society who are eligible
holders of the ration cards,
The owners of the shops used to earn not more than Rs.1,500-2,000 as
commission from sales initially. They can now hope for earnings of
Rs.5,000
a month.
Following the initiative, companies like ITC, HLL, major oil
companies, Videocon and telephone service providers like Tata, BSNL
and Hutch are supplying their wares. Other products include Life
Insurance Corp (LIC) policies and ice cream parlors.
Both state-run and private banks are trying to position themselves
in the rural areas by making the malls a sale link for their
financial products.
The proliferation of the malls has cut down the time and money
people from rural and semi-urban areas used to spend to go to urban
centers. The use of computers will be introduced gradually to take
care of the Value Added Tax calculations.
IANS
News of Jan
3, 2007
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