Tamil Nadu to launch low-cost salt

Earlier low cost canteen, pharmacy, water were launched; major players in salt include Tata, ITC and others

After low-cost canteen, pharmacy and vegetable shops, the Tamil Nadu government is set to launch salt under the brand name ‘Amma’.

State chief minister and AIADMK's supermo J Jayalalithaa is called Amma (mother) by her followers and well-wishers.

According to sources, three grades of salt would be launched on Wednesday. The first grade will be sold at Rs 14 a kg, while the market rate is Rs 22, the second grade at Rs 10 (Rs 16 in the open market) and the third would be priced at Rs 21 (Rs 25).

One of the major issues in the state is iron deficiencies in the rural parts. To address this, the state government is planning to sell double fortified salt, which will have both iron and iodine, they said.

The salts will be manufactured by the Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation in Ramanathapuram district of Southern TN, where the corporation had set up a 100-tonne capacity plant.

GN Chakravarthy, executive director of KSPS Group of Companies, one of the suppliers to the corporation, said the initiative would also help manufactures like him considering the government was going to source value-added salt, which will have higher margins.

The salt would be sold through government-run shops including Amudham, Chindamani and even through ration shops.

The state government operates 297 Amma canteens where idly is served at Re 1 and a plate of rice for Rs 5.