Though some people doubted the quality of the rice being sold at lesser price, it didn’t seem to have deterred people from buying rice at the sante. Almost all shops recorded a decent sale on the first day. A total of 214 quintal of rice was sold on Saturday. Though it is called shandy, the rice is sold just like any other commodity in the shops.

Sante is being organised by the State Food and Civil Supplies department at Janata Bazaars in seven places. Three varieties of rice (steam), B T Sona, Ganga Sona and Fine Sona, are being sold at Rs 20, Rs 25 and Rs 28 respectively.

The department is selling rice by directly procuring from rice mills. The same variety of rice in the open market costs at least Rs 8 to 10 more. A kg of Sona masuri (Fine sona variety) costs Rs 38 in the open market, according to officials.

The government had earlier planned to organise sante from August 18. But the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer took objection to it in view of the byelections and directed the government to organise the sante after the election process is completed.

The only condition at the sante is that one has to buy a minimum of 5 kg of rice. In places like Basaveshwaranagar and Sadashivanagar, officials were insisting people to buy one full bag of 25 KG rice and refused to sell in small quantity. As a result, many people went back disappointed.

“I want to buy two kgs and test the quality. I will buy in bulk only if it is good. But the officials insist that I should buy one full bag,” Venugopal, a resident of Basaveshwaranagar, said.

Majority of people had bought 5 to 10 kg at KG Road Janata Bazaar sante. “The rice looks okay. So I bought 10 kg. If it is of good quality, I will buy more,” Shankar, a resident of Basavanagudi, said.

Minister’s big plan 

Food and Civil Supplies Minister H Halappa said the sante has received a good response  on the first day. “We have organised it only on an experimental basis. If the response is good, we will organise this in a big way across the City. The sante will be held for one month,” he stated.

Holiday today

Janata Bazaars in the City on K G Road; Jayanagar Shopping complex; Sadashivanagar; # 2, Nandidurga Road; RMV Rajmahal Vilas Layout; BDA complex, 8th main Basaveshwaranagar; HAL Old Township and Vimanapura. There will be no sante on Sunday as Janata Bazaars will be closed on account of Ganesh Chaturti.