Supplyco’s Go Express Marts to Get Longer Hours in Three Kerala Cities

The plan to improve customer access at Supplyco outlets is moving ahead through longer operating hours for Go Express marts in three cities, with a possible transition to round-the-clock operations later.

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Anoop Jacob said the Go Express marts in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode would function for longer hours.

He was responding during Question Hour in the Keralam Assembly on Monday to a question about improving Supplyco’s customer services through 24-hour depots.

Go Express model being expanded

Supplyco outlets currently follow specific operating hours, with exceptions made only during festivals, the Minister said.

The government had examined a proposal to keep Supplyco outlets open 24 hours a day.

As part of the government’s 100-day action plan, Go Express marts were being launched on the convenience store model.

The marts are planned at railway stations, bus terminals and airports, locations where longer operating hours are intended to support consumer access.

The convenience stores would be launched in more places after the government assessed their viability in the three cities where they have already been opened.

The proposed expansion therefore depends on an assessment of how the marts function in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode.

Supplyco sales and K-Stores

Rejecting former Minister for Civil Supplies G.R. Anil’s claim about record sales during Onam in the last year of the Left Democratic Front government, Mr. Jacob said Supplyco’s Onam turnover had increased 13% from that in 2026.

He said sales of both subsidiary and non-subsidiary items had increased.

The Minister also said some ration shops had been converted into K-Stores.

An assessment of the functioning of these outlets had found that they needed to be restructured.

The purpose of the restructuring was to make ration outlets more profitable and to make more products available to consumers.

However, the government was not considering the sale of 13 subsidiary items through ration shops.

Food kits for extremely poor households

Responding to concerns about the “widespread non-availability” of food kits for people under the extremely poor category, Mr. Jacob said the government would examine whether food essentials could be supplied to them through kits or other alternative ways.

He said free kits had been given to households in the AAY category during Onam.

The Minister’s response leaves open the question of whether the government will use food kits or another method to supply essentials to people in the extremely poor category.

Paddy procurement and farmer payments

On paddy procurement through Supplyco, Mr. Jacob said farmer registration had begun much earlier this time, whereas it was usually done at the time of harvest.

The registration process has now been completed.

Paddy procurement had begun in Palakkad and was expected to reach full swing this week.

On delays in payments to farmers under the PRS, or paddy receipt sheet, loan scheme, Mr. Jacob said the scheme was still being followed but that many practical difficulties were being experienced.

The government was considering making direct payments to farmers through financial assistance from NABARD.

The Chief Minister had convened a meeting on the proposal, and further steps would be taken on the basis of the meeting’s report.

Source: The Hindu