The All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation (AIFPSDF) has decided to go for an indefinite ‘Ration Bandh’ from 1 January 2024 on various issues.
[Representational Photo]
The All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation (AIFPSDF) has decided to go for an indefinite ‘Ration Bandh’ from 1 January 2024 on various issues. The AIFPSDF national general secretary Biswambhar Basu in a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has informed the latter of the decision to go on strike for an an indefinite period.
Mr Basu has mentioned 16 issues in the letter, which was written on 15 November 2023 to Mr Modi. The AIFPSDF has demanded that margins should be increased to ensure viability of Fair Price Shop (FPS). It also said honorarium of Rs 50,000 can ensure a fixed monthly income of a FPS dealer. The Federation also pointed out technical problems in linking ration distribution to Aadhaar numbers, like non-availability of data network, server failures, mismatch of fingerprints and requested the PM for an alternative arrangements which should be ensured to minimise harassment of consumers.
The Federation, demanding suitable amendment in the NFSA (National Food Security Act), urged that the government should grant advance margin as provided for in the NFSA. Mr Basu has informed the PM that some state governments like Punjab, Chhattisgarh are paying margins to the FPS dealers at lower rate than what in prescribed in the NFSA.
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It urged that the concerned state governments be advised not to hold back the due margins to the FPS Dealers as notified in the NFSA. It also urged that state governments like Assam and Meghalaya may be advised to do away with the ‘middlemen system’ like wholesaler/ distributor to avoid leakage and sharing the margins allowed to the FPS dealers.
Mr Bose also pointed out even after discontinuation of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojona since January 2023, FPS dealers are not getting margins on that count in some states like Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Nagaland, Odiham, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and others.
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