Civil supplies department plans to distribute non-subsidized items; bottled water and tea under consideration

The civil supplies department in Thiruvananthapuram is planning to distribute non-subsidized items which are now giving through Supplyco outlets later through ration shops.

This will ensure better income for the shop owners.

An in-principle decision has been taken to distribute bottled water and Sabari tea through ration shops, sources said.

The bottled drinking water will be priced at 11 rupees. The packaged drinking water will be made available in all the 14,350 ration shops in the state. Earlier, the government had supplied packaged drinking water through Supplyco supermarkets.

Sources said that the average production cost of common bottled drinking water is Rs 6 per litre. The manufacturers supply it at Rs 8 while retailers sell it at Rs 12 per litre.