Chennai, July 28: The contract to supply 30,000 television sets that the DMK government will give away free has gone to two Delhi-based companies and a Mumbai firm.

Videocon Industries Limited, which quoted the lowest rate of Rs 2,965 per television, will supply 15,000 sets, local administration and rural development minister M.K. Stalin announced in the Assembly today.

Kitchen Appliances India Limited, Mumbai, and Dixon Technologies India Private Limited, based in Noida near Delhi, will supply 7,500 each at the same price.

The DMK had promised to give away free colour TVs to below poverty line families. In the first phase, 30,000 will be covered.

A committee of MLAs from most parties ? the ADMK and its ally MDMK have boycotted it ? set up by chief minister M. Karunanidhi to oversee implementation of the scheme has approved the suppliers.

The scheme will be formally launched on September 15, the birth anniversary of the late DMK leader C.N. Annadurai.

Stalin said the bids were opened yesterday at the office of the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu, the nodal agency that will implement the scheme. The bids of seven television manufacturers/companies who were technically qualified were taken up for detailed consideration.

Videocon had initially quoted the least price of Rs 3,088.55. The company’s representatives were called for talks and the price brought down to Rs 2,965, he said.

The other two companies were then called and asked if they could supply at the same price and they agreed. Three other companies which were technically qualified refused to lower their prices, he added.

Finance minister K. Anbazhagan has allocated Rs 750 crore for the scheme this year.