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throughout the year. The system ensures the distribution of essential items through Fair Price shops AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED SECTORS
and Supplyco outlets to reach every common man unlike in other states.

2.198 Supplyco has its headquarters in Kochi and operates through 5 regional offices, 56 depots
and many outlets. Details of outlet are given in Appendix 2.97. Retailing of Fast Moving Consumer
Goods (FMCG) at lower price, conducting special fairs for arresting the undue rice in prices during
festival seasons, retailing of medicines by opening medical stores, procurement of paddy, arrang-
ing process of wheat and distribution of its products, acting as dealer of petroleum products like
kerosene, petrol, diesel and LPG and also acting as nodal agency to implement the progremmes of
Government Of India in the state to start Micro Biology Lab and Food Processing Unit.

Mid-day Meal Programme

2.199 Mid-day Meal Programme in schools is implemented in the State with the financial support of
State govt. and Central assistance. The programme was introduced in 1995 by the Ministry of Hu-
man Resources Development, Government Of India, to provide nutritional support to primary school
going children and to boost universalisation of primary education by increasing enrollment, retention
and attendance.

2.200 Supplyco is entrusted for providing commodities to mid-day meal programme in the State.
The required quantity of rice is taken from Food Corporation of India and pulses from the stock of
Supplyco. During 2013-14, the Corporation supplied 590624.2 Qtls of rice, 92298.96 Qtls of special
rice benefiting 26.93 lakh children. The cost of the food grains is met through Education Department.
Number of children benefitted from the mid-day meal programme is given in fig 2.11 and details of
supply of food grains from 2007-08 to 2013-14 is shown in Appendix 2.98.

Fig.2.11
Mid-day Meal Programme

Economic Review 2014