The Tamil Nadu government is considering selling fine-quality rice at Rs 40 to Rs 50 a kilo through cooperative stores, after retail rates reached Rs 70 to Rs 80, Food Minister P. Venkataramanan’s price-monitoring committee discussed on 13 October 2026, DT Next reported. No date has been set; officials first want to confirm one lakh tonnes of rice is available.
If it goes ahead, the rice will be sold through the same network of government and cooperative shops that Chennai residents already use for cheaper groceries and vegetables. Here is what each of those outlets is, what they sell, and what we could confirm about where they are.
Amudham departmental stores (TNCSC)
Amudham stores are run by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, the state body that also handles rice and wheat for the public distribution system. They are self-service shops selling pulses, cereals, oils and everyday branded goods below MRP, and they are open to everyone, not just ration card holders.
In August 2024, a TNCSC official told DT Next that the Chennai region had 22 Amudham departmental stores, and that 54 larger Amma Amudham departmental stores were operating statewide. TNCSC said then that it planned 100 more across the state. We could not confirm how many have opened since.
Amudham stores are often used as a price-control channel. In July 2023, 14 of them in Chennai sold tomatoes at Rs 60 a kilo, toor dal at Rs 75 for half a kilo and urad dal at Rs 60 for half a kilo when market prices spiked, DT Next reported. They also sell seasonal kits, such as Deepavali grocery kits, in the run-up to festivals.
Pannai Pasumai farm fresh outlets (TUCS)
Pannai Pasumai Nugarvor Kadai (Farm Fresh Consumer Outlets) are vegetable and fruit shops run by the Triplicane Urban Cooperative Society (TUCS) for the state’s Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department. They operate in Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Vellore, according to a 2023 DT Next report.
Their main job is to sell vegetables at below-market rates when prices spike. In October 2024, outlets in Teynampet, Mylapore, Triplicane and Anna Nagar sold onions at Rs 40 and tomatoes at Rs 60 a kilo, with a limit of 2 kg per person, DT Next reported. When prices fall, they continue regular vegetable sales.
TUCS and cooperative stores
TUCS is one of the oldest consumer cooperatives in the city. Besides the farm fresh outlets, it runs cooperative fair price shops and provision stores, and supplies vegetables, provisions and cooking gas to Chennai’s Amma Unavagams, according to a 2024 report on the canteens. Many of Chennai’s ration shops are run by cooperative societies; the Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department notes that cooperatives operate the fair price shops in most districts.
We could not verify current details of Kamadhenu cooperative supermarkets in Chennai from an official source this week, so we have left them out. If you shop at one, the store itself can tell you which cooperative society runs it.
Ration shops as price buffers
Beyond regular rations, the state sometimes sells extra items through urban fair price shops. From 3 September 2026, onions were sold at Rs 35 a kilo in urban ration shops, against Rs 56 to Rs 60 in the open market, with about 80 lakh urban card holders eligible, DT Next reported. The minister also said the price monitoring committee would meet every three months.
How to use these stores well
- Watch for announcements. Special sales of onions, tomatoes or dal are usually announced a day or two in advance in the press and on official social media.
- Go early on the first days. Stock for special sales is limited and often rationed per person.
- Carry your ration card for ration-shop sales; Amudham and Pannai Pasumai outlets do not usually need one.
- Compare. Government prices are usually below MRP, not always below every supermarket offer.
- Check dates. As with any shop, check packing and expiry dates on packaged goods.
| Outlet | Run by | Mainly sells |
|---|---|---|
| Amudham stores | TNCSC | Groceries, pulses, oils, FMCG below MRP |
| Pannai Pasumai | TUCS for the Co-operation dept | Vegetables and fruit, special low-price sales |
| Cooperative ration shops | Cooperative societies | PDS rations, occasional special sales |
Quick answers
Who runs Amudham stores?
The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. The Chennai region had 22 Amudham departmental stores in August 2024.
Do I need a ration card at Amudham or Pannai Pasumai?
Generally no; they are open to all buyers. Ration shop special sales are for card holders.
Where are Pannai Pasumai outlets in Chennai?
Reported locations include Teynampet, Mylapore, Triplicane and Anna Nagar.
Will cooperative stores sell cheaper rice?
The government was considering Rs 40 to Rs 50 a kilo as of 13 October 2026. No start date has been announced.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- TNCSC to set up 100 new Amudham stores (DT Next, 9 August 2024)
- 14 Amudham stores in Chennai to sell tomatoes, toor and urad dal (DT Next, 13 July 2023)
- Tomato prices per kg plummet to single digits (DT Next, 11 September 2023)
- Pannai Pasumai Nugarvor Kadai sells onion, tomato at affordable prices (DT Next, 9 October 2024)
- Tamil Nadu: Onions at Rs 35/kg in ration shops from Sept 3 (DT Next, 2 September 2026)
- Tamil Nadu mulls selling rice at Rs 40-Rs 50 per kg in cooperative stores (DT Next, 14 October 2026)
- Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
