Fair price shop owners in Gujarat start indefinite strike over higher commission, other issues

Ahmedabad, Nov 1 (PTI) All of Gujarat's nearly 17,000 fair price shops remained shut on Saturday as their owners launched an indefinite strike over various unresolved issues, including minimum monthly commission.

Citing inflation, the All Gujarat Fair Price Shop Owners Association has been demanding a monthly commission of at least Rs 30,000 for each of its members selling food grains through the public distribution system.

Its other demands include compensating owners for the grain loss during distribution to beneficiaries and modification in a government order that mandates the presence of local vigilance committee members at the shop during the unloading of stock.

Association president Rajendrasinh Jadeja said they went on the strike after a meeting between their members and Mona K Khandhar, Principal Secretary of the Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs Department, ended without any fruitful results.

Fair price shop owners now get a minimum monthly commission of Rs 20,000 from the government, he said.

“However, in view of the present rate of inflation, many owners are finding it difficult to sustain themselves with this income. Thus, we are demanding that the monthly commission be increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000,” said Jadeja.

About the distribution loss, Jadeja said it’s not fair on the part of the government to put the burden on the shop owners.

“When we distribute grain to beneficiaries from a 50 kg sack, it is natural that there will be some loss. Earlier, we were given compensation against this distribution loss. Now, it has stopped. On the contrary, we are being accused of stealing that grain and forced to pay for the difference,” he said.

The state government recently mandated that at least 80 per cent members of the local vigilance committee must remain present and give their biometrics while unloading stock at the shops, said Jadeja, adding that it was modified to an extent following protests by the shop owners.

Now, 50 per cent of the members of the local vigilance committee must be present at the shop to curb any wrongdoing, he said.

“But we are saying that the responsibility of calling them at the spot and taking their biometrics should not be on the shop owners. If some of them do not come, the stock will not be unloaded, eventually affecting the beneficiaries, who are waiting at the shop,” said Jadeja.

He claimed that these issues were discussed in detail with Mona Khandhar in Gandhinagar on Saturday afternoon, but there was no specific assurance from her side.

“Till these issues are resolved and our demands are met, we have decided to continue the agitation,” added Jadeja. PTI PJT NR