B Anbuselvan By Express News Service CHENNAI: Retail outlets across the State may run out of stock within 3-4 days, as the government is yet to take a decision on allowing inter-State transport of essential commodities such as rice and pulses. Other items such as biscuits, dishwash products, and sanitary napkins are also going off the shelves as retailers have not been able to procure fresh stock due to the lockdown. Traders say the spike in demand is because supermarkets have been shut for the past two days and the entire business is being managed by small shops and traders. Warning that the food supply, especially grains, could get disrupted in the next week, the traders appealed for rice and dal mills to be allowed to function immediately. “We have enough paddy and pulses stock which could fulfil the State’s demand for more than 50 days. However, to convert the paddy into rice we need the mills to be operational. Pulses processing units also need to be opened immediately,” said A M Vikrama Raja, President of Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders’ Association.Though State’s rice demand is partially met by the paddy produced within the State, a large quantity of rice is also purchased from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. While transportation of rice and pulses from other States has been stopped due to lockdown, traders say goods from wholesale shops have also not reached the retailers. S P Jayaprakasam, State President, and Tamil Nadu Food Grain Merchants Association told Express that the traders are ready to comply with the guidelines issued by the government before engaging workers in mills. “In the past during dengue outbreak food safety officials had screened workers who were engaged in the mills. We want the government to come up with guidelines at earliest and taken decision,” When contacted, a senior official from the Health Department said the matter was being discussed at the chief minister’s office and a decision will be taken in a day. “Availability of personal protection equipment, infrastructure to screen the workers and other precautionary measures to be taken before allowing people into the rice mills being discussed. Guidelines will be released soon.”

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