Annapurna Bhandar to have new brand ‘Sabse Achcha-Sabse Sasta’

Newly revamped and PPP-based public distribution scheme Annapurna Bhandar, which was initiated by Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhara Raje, will soon be remodelled with a new brand ‘Sabse Achcha- Sabse Sasta’. Also, special drive would be launched to motivate more fair price shop dealers to join the scheme.

Smt. Raje, while reviewing the scheme at her residence on Friday, said that this was a unique PDS scheme in the country in which commoners were getting essential consumer products at reasonable prices through the public-private-partnership shops. She suggested for strengthening the scheme by making it more consumer-friendly.

The CM released a booklet comprising of success stories of the scheme and a website www.annapurnabhandarrajasthan.in. She also released a coin to be given to the innovative Annapurna Bhandar dealers as gifts.

Smt. Raje suggested the Future Group, the private partner of scheme, to set-up a helpline for the dealers of fair price shops, so that the issues pertaining to the scheme could be resolved in time. She further asked for price restructuring of some consumer products.

Principal Secretary Food & Civil Supplies Dr. Subodh Agarwal said that the quality, packaging and prices of the consumer products available through this scheme was excellent. It ensured additional income to the shop owners as well. He said that some issues had cropped up during a survey conducted for review of the scheme, which were shared with the company.

During the meeting, demand for higher margins between company and dealers, packaging of wheat and sugar, permission for packaged tea, spices, salt etc. of brands other than Raj Brand were also discussed. It was agreed upon that all these matters would be properly resolved through further deliberations.

Chief Secretary Shri CS Rajan, Principal Secertary Energy Shri Sanjay Malhotra, Chairman of Future Group Shri Kishore Biyani, other officers of the department were also present on this occasion.

Jaipur, 29 April 2016