CHENNAI: To address the shortage of manpower in the public distribution system, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to temporarily engage trained women from self-help groups (SHGs) to operate cooperative-run ration shops until regular appointments are made.

According to a circular issued by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies G Latha on November 12, as many as 1,890 posts — 1,714 salespersons and 176 packers — were vacant in cooperative fair price shops as of August 31, 2026, adding to the workload of employees, prompting the department to explore an interim staffing arrangement.

SHG members will be selected through district-level committees and deployed after they undergo training in ration shop operations, including electronic point-of-sale transactions, biometric authentication, food security entitlements and stock management. To qualify, an SHG must have been functioning for at least five years and have no outstanding bank loans. The qualification for the sales position is Class 12 and packer positions is Class 10.

Applicants should also reside in the locality of the shop and have no pending criminal cases. The temporary members will receive Rs 400 a day, subject to monthly remuneration ceilings of Rs 7,500 for salespersons and Rs 6,600 for packers.

The payments will be credited directly to their bank accounts. The circular clarifies that the engagement is purely temporary and will cease once regular appointments are made through the district recruitment bureaux.