Farm equipment worth Rs. 42.86 lakh given For farmers' benefit:I. Periyasamy, Minster for Revenue, driving a tractor during the inauguration of agro-service centres in Dindigul on Sunday. DINDIGUL: The Department of Cooperatives has plans to establish 70 agro-service centres in the district with the help of primary agriculture cooperative banks in order to hire farm equipment and implements at nominal rates, said I. Periasamy, Minister for Revenue. He inaugurated new agro-service centres and distributed tractors and farm equipment to these centres at a function held here on Sunday. Investment He said that such a measure would scale down the capital investment of farmers. Moreover, mechanisation would help farmers to overcome shortage of agricultural labourers. He pointed out that modern agricultural practices and advanced machineries would improve productivity. The cooperatives has plans to buy power tillers, transplanting machines and tractor drawn rotavators, trailers, cage wheel, weed remover. Farm equipment worth Rs. 42.86 lakh were given to these centres. Earlier, the Minister drove a tractor and checked its condition and inaugurated agro-service centres at Kunnuvarankottai, A. Vellode, Porulur, V. Mettupatti and Thoppampatti villages. These centres would function on the campus of primary agricultural cooperative banks. (The Department of Cooperatives had already set up such centres at Ramarajapuram, Kulipatti, Chatrapatti, K. Agraharam and I. Muthunaickenpatti in 2009-10.). The Department of Cooperatives has also set up its cooperative pharmacy in Dindigul to supply quality medicines at affordable prices. Pharmacy Inaugurating the pharmacy at Amudham Cooperative Supermarket building, the Minister said that four more pharmacies would be opened in the district shortly. The pharmacy would offer 15 per cent discount on retail price. All essential medicines and life-saving drugs would be available. The cooperative supermarket in Batlagundu had been supplying quality goods at affordable prices to public for the past three decades. District Revenue Officer K. Pechiammal and Joint Registrar of Cooperatives R. Vilvasekaran presided.