Even as Chief Minister Manohar Joshi inaugurated the scheme at the Janata Sahakari Society at BIT Chawls in Worli, curious customers turned up at almost all branches of the Sahakari Bhandar and Apna Bazar in the city asking for the vegetables. All that they received were apologetic smiles and promises of the sale from tomorrow.

``We have had at least 50 people coming in and asking for vegetables but what can we give if we don't have it ourselves,'' laughed a doorman at Sahakari Bhandar opposite Regal Cinema. A senior manager at the Bhandar said that he had come to know that his branch would sell vegetables from the television news last night. ``We were not even informed of the scheme, not that we are particularly eager to implement it,'' he added.

Nearly six years ago, the Bhandar had tried tosell onions in the city through its various branches. ``The quality was so terrible that we had to spend quite an amount to dispose of the stock,'' said an official of the Bhandar.

In the Maratha Stores at Colaba Market, the stockists are wondering where they would place the nearly 300 kilogrammes of various vegetables that will arrive tomorrow morning. They plan to distribute the load in four branches in the area as and when the stock arrives.

Apna Bazaar, one of the biggest cooperative store chains in the city, was saved the blushes because most of its six branches were closed, Monday being their weekly off-day. ``But we will start the sale from 9 am tomorrow,'' said Vijay Parab, manager of the Bazaar at Andheri.

However, those who have received the vegetables have a kind word for the government. ``I was pleasantly surprised to find the cleaned vegetables, which I feared would be rotten, properly packed in polythene packets being sold for fair prices,'' said A Sreenivasan, a resident of Navy Nagar.The sale outlets include 90 milk centres, 75 ration shops, 21 Mafco centres, four cooperative stores and Maharashtra State Marketing Federation centres.

Confusion remains over the prices at which the vegetables will be sold. Lack of coordination between the government and the traders have left many wondering of who would pick up the tab for transportation costs. But a press release sent by the Mantralaya late evening has clarified that the prices of the vegetables would be fixed.

As per the release a kilo of brinjal would cost Rs 10, cabbage Rs 14, cauliflower Rs 21, potato Rs 10 and green peas Rs 25.

The sale of the vegetables will be done in over 200 dispensing spots in the city which include milk centres, fair price shops and cooperative stores. The scheme will be on till December 30, when it will be reviewed.