Fair price shop owners withdraw strike over barcoded cards issue

Ahmedabad, 17 November 2014

Fair Price Shops Owners Association led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brother Prahlad Modi has taken back its strike call. This decision has been taken after successful meeting of association with state Civil Supply Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

Association had given strike call earlier against the problems and errors associated with implementation of barcoded system.
Modi said the shop owners favor barcoded system, but at the same time they demand solution of errors and faults in this system which cause conflict between consumers and shop keepers.

Civil Supply minister Bhupendrasinh Chuadama admitted errors in new system, but said that these are teething problems with introduction of a new system. Such problems will be corrected and the system will be improved, he promised in the meeting with Modi and other members of Fair Price Shop Association.

With this, the strike call has been withdrawn.

Government’s decisions in the meeting

–Arrangement for speedy distribution of ration cards/biometric to those who are yet to get it. Shop wise list of such people will be made. Government will deploy its own persons at shops for those who haven’t get ration card or whose biometric data has not been taken.

–Shop keepers to extend help for issuance of coupon. Those who have purchased machine for couplan will cooperate with other shop keepers also for issuance of coupon.

–Biometric system will be simplified to reduce software server problems.