Chennai, Jun 29 (IANS): In a bid to stall the rising prices of tomatoes, the Stalin government has commenced selling these at Rs 60 per kg through the 'Pannai Pasumai' (Farm fresh) outlets in the Tamil Nadu Urban Cooperative Societies.

The state government has made arrangements to make tomatoes available at Rs 60 per kg in 64 Pannai Pasumai outlets.

The government is contemplating making tomatoes available in the 35,000 fair price shops in Tamil Nadu if prices do not fall in the coming days.

Tamil Nadu minister for cooperatives, K.R. Periyakaruppan had inaugurated the sale of tomatoes through Pannai Pasumai outlets in the Tamil Nadu Urban Cooperative Societies on Wednesday.

It may be noted that in the Koyambedu vegetable market, which is the biggest in South India, instead of the 800 tonnes of tomatoes that used to come per day, at present it is only 300 tonnes that the market is receiving per day.

Tamil Nadu is reeling under rising prices of vegetables and the state cooperative department has now entered into the market to reduce spiraling prices of other vegetables.

Sources in the Cooperative department of Tamil Nadu told IANS that this was a deliberate attempt to reduce the prices of tomatoes by making it available through cooperative network.