Kerala to oust retail chains

The Left Democratic Front government is planning to cancel the licences of retail chains functioning in Kerala, State Food Minister C Divakaran informed the legislative assembly on Tuesday.

The Left Democratic Front government is planning to cancel the licences of retail chains functioning in Kerala, State Food Minister C Divakaran informed the legislative assembly on Tuesday.

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“Some local bodies have given licenses to monopolies. We have advised them to withdraw permission immediately,” the minister said. He said the state government has lined up contingency plans to take on the monopolies. The minister added that the state public distribution system is quite capable of competing with big players.

The state government had recently mooted a Bill to regulate retail chains called the Kerala State Essential Commodities Act, 2007, which is being examined by the state’s legal department.