Crores were swindled in the distribution of free kits; Rs 8 crore was spent on the govt. stamp on the cover alone…

Kochi: The cost of affixing the stamp of the government and Supplyco on the cotton bag for free kits distributed by the state government is at least Rs 8 crore.  The government has come out with a new decision that the government stamp is mandatory for the free kit.

The government has suggested that Supplyco’s tagline “forever with you” should also be printed on the outside of the bag. As per the government directive, it costs around Rs 6 to affix the emblem on both the sides of the bag. It will cost about Rs 8 crore to affix the state government logo on 1.61 crore cotton bags, including the benefit of one-time printing. This extra cost to the government comes at a time of economic crisis in the state.

The government has yet to pay more than Rs 600 crore. The budget also announced that the food kit would continue in the coming months. In the meantime, the government has decided to provide the kit in a sealed bag ahead of the elections.