The Hindu Business Line : Supplyco celebrating Onam with special fairs, markets

The corporation is proposed to conduct the Onam special market intervention operation with Onam Metro Peoples Bazars, Onam Town Peoples Bazar, Onam markets and Onam Mini fairs this year.

V. Sajeev Kumar

Kochi, Sept. 11 Today Onam is not just the festival of Keralites but it has also acquired a national status. It is even celebrated across the seas with fervour. It is a festival that remembers the golden reign of the legendary King Mahabali during whose reign Kerala is believed to have prospered.

Significantly, Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation popularly known as Supplyco through its Maveli chain of retail stores has contributed to bring back those golden days by assuring fair prices, quality products and insulation against evil practices.

Maveli stores offered a new experience to Keralites and helped Supplyco to become a household name in no time. Quality products and subsidised pricing are the twin advantages that Supplyco extends to consumer.

Mr Yogesh Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director, said the Onam operations are intended to make available essential commodities to the reach of common man at a price below the open market rates. This year, the corporation has been conducting Onam special fairs in all city corporations and at the headquarters of all district/taluk/municipalities.

It is proposed to conduct the Onam special market intervention operation with Onam Metro Peoples Bazars, Onam Town Peoples Bazar, Onam markets and Onam Mini fairs this year.

Supplyco, this year, has proposed to conduct 129 Onam markets based on potential and demand and also on the basis of one fair/market each in an Assembly constituency to enhance people’s participation. In addition to the essential commodities, vegetables and banana will be sold through the Onam fairs and markets. The price of these items will be at least 10 per cent less than the open market rate.

The Onam markets, he said, are evoking huge rush of the people with the sales in special markets crossing Rs 1.93 crore last week.

According to Mr Gupta, the Onam markets this year have been most colourful with big picture screens, blaring dance songs, advertisement, snack bars, ice-cream and juice outlets, toys and balloon for children adding to the highly festive mood.

sales Promotion scheme

To boost up sales and attract existing as well as new customers, it has been decided to conduct a sales promotion scheme during this season. The scheme involves giving a free gift of 250 gm packet of Sabari Tea/curry powders for every purchase of commodities worth Rs 800. It has been decided to give Onam gift kit worth Rs 368 at a selling price of Rs 300. These kits will be sold through Metro Peoples Bazars and Town Peoples Bazars.

The State Government also decided to distribute Onam kits to all BPL cardholders of the State free of cost. The total number of BPL cardholders in the State comes to 20 lakh and the expense comes to Rs 12 crore for the distribution of BPL kits to cardholders. For this, the Government has sanctioned Rs 10 crore to Supplyco.

The corporation has also decided to charge for rack space, exhibition of banners, advertisement film to be displayed in Onam bazaars. By doing this, the company expect to fetch an amount of Rs 50 lakh as revenue, which will be utilised to provide free gifts in Onam kit. The scheme is a win-win situation for all stake holders, customers, Supplyco as well as FMCG companies.

In order to revive the corporation for an efficient inventory, purchase and sales management, a policy of AQPBL (Availability of items, Quality, Pricing, Behaviour and Location) is now being followed in that order of preference. Efforts are being made to ensure that all outlets are at conveniently accessible places for easy commutations and transportation to customers. The outlets should have either social or commercial relevance. A scientific criteria has been derived for the purpose.

Purchase of rice

For every Keralite, rice is the major food item. The price of rice was increasing since November last year. This necessitated the intervention in the market for controlling and stabilising the price of rice. To attain this goal, Supplyco purchased rice from the market and sold to the public through all the outlets in the State.

For benefiting the people who residing in interior areas Mobile Arikkada were also started. These special stores are still functioning successfully. Supplyco is selling boiled rice at Rs 14 and raw rice at Rs 13.50. A quantity of 6,10,278 quintal has been sold and the total sale value comes Rs 64.98 crore. Hence with the minimum resources and optimum stock, the corporation has effectively controlled the undue price hike of rice.

For the first time, Supplyco earned a profit of around Rs 8 crore in the last fiscal. Now the depots are turned to profit centres and preparing profit and loss accounts for each depots. In addition to this, a fund management with central viewing of all accounts in introduced in the corporation. This enabled transfer of funds to central pool, payment of major items through common control account with internet posting of GRS by the depots.

As a result, the corporation has control over its fund lying in more than 1,000 different accounts. A system of segment wise accounting has been introduced to know the financial performance of each segment of its activities like petrol pumps, pharmaceutical business, Maveli business, non-Maveli business, paddy procurement etc. This will also ensure proper accounting of all moneys which are received and spent in each of these activities for fixing responsibility.