Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil on Wednesday said the government is considering a proposal to establish supermarkets for its employees through the state-owned Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL), modelled on police and army canteens.

The initiative aims to make essential daily-use items available to state government employees at discounted prices, he said.

In this regard, the minister held a preliminary round of discussions with Industries Department Principal Secretary S Selvakumar, MSIL Managing Director Manoja Kumara, and other senior officials, his office said in a statement.

Karnataka has around six lakh government employees, and the proposed plan seeks to benefit their families, Patil added.

Discussions would be held with the finance department to explore the possibility of subsidies or tax exemptions for the initiative, he said.

MSIL has been directed to submit a detailed feasibility report within a month on establishing such supermarkets.

Initially, four to five outlets are planned in Bengaluru, with a view to later expanding the facility to district headquarters across the state, he said.

However, the decision will be finalised after receiving the feasibility report.

The initiative is expected to expand the operational scope of the state-owned MSIL and provide an additional revenue source, while also benefiting lakhs of government employees and their families, the minister said.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Rajouri/Jammu (PTI): One person died while seven others, mostly children, were hospitalised after allegedly consuming a wild vegetable in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, officials said on Saturday.

The incident was reported from Mohra village in the Kotranka subdivision, where members of two families consumed a wild vegetable following which they started showing symptoms of food poisoning on Friday evening, they said.

The affected persons were initially shifted to the Community Health Centre in Kandi and later referred to the Government Medical College Hospital Rajouri for specialised treatment.

Officials said an elderly man, identified as Mohammad Hussain (60), died during treatment, while seven other members of the two families are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

“Prima facie, it is a case of food poisoning, but the matter is still under investigation,” a doctor said.

Officials said an investigation into the incident has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the poisoning.