Bhubaneswar, May 9: Omelette, scrambled, boiled or poached… whatever your preference, it will now be easier on your pocket to dig into a healthy egg dish.

You will now be able to buy eggs at a price cheaper than the market rate from Opolfed outlets here.

Retail outlets of the state-run Odisha State Poultry Products Co-operative Marketing Federation Limited (Opolfed) have been directed to sell eggs, failing which their licences will be cancelled.

These outlets, which were opened to promote poultry products of the federation in the 90s, have in recent times morphed into fast food shops. The people manning them refuse to sell eggs.

But the authorities of Opolfed have now made it mandatory for them to sell poultry products.

Opolfed kiosks will now have to put up a board displaying the price of eggs.

“We have constituted a three-member squad that will visit the retail outlets on a daily basis. If Opolfed kiosk owners are found refusing consumers eggs, they will be fined Rs 200 and their licences will be cancelled,” said Opolfed general manager Prasanta Kumar Biswal.

The move is expected to benefit consumers who can now buy eggs at cheaper rates. Eggs sold by the federation come for Rs 3 a piece, but consumers have to pay between Rs 4 and Rs 5 to buy them from the market.

The state fisheries and animal resources development department has constituted a committee to fix and monitor the price of eggs in the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area.

“Eggs are a part of the daily diet of residents here. But there is a difference in the market prices, which needs to be regulated,” said a senior official of Opolfed.

The daily demand for eggs in the city is around 5 lakh, while the Opolfed outlets are provided around 50,000 of eggs on a daily basis.

The rest are sold by shops that collect eggs from whole sellers.

Consumers have welcomed the decision.

“These days, most Opolfed retail outlet owners to refuse to sell eggs to people. They are more interested in running a brisk fast food business,” said Deepak Mohanty, a resident of Saheed Nagar.

Opolfed, which was registered as a society on March 29,1976, only permits licences for marketing of poultry products such as eggs and chicken. Retail outlet owners have to deposit a refundable sum of Rs 10,000 with Opolfed to display their brand.

Licences were issued to 66 such outlets in the city. Now, only 47 of them are in operation.