Surendranagar: The licences of 16 shopkeepers operating fair price shops have been permanently revoked for malpractices in selling subsidized food grains to the underprivileged sections of the society in Surendranagar. They have also been levied fines totalling Rs 2,44,52,695 in this matter.

Certain fair price shop owners in Surendranagar are believed to be practicing irregularities in the sale of foodgrains to the poorer sections. It was noticed by officials of the public distribution system that these fair-price shopkeepers were misusing the OTP to distribute the foodgrains and ordered an investigation into the issue.

The officials stumbled on a scam during the investigation and ordered the cancellation of licences of 16 shopkeepers and fined them a cumulative Rs 2,44,52,695 crores. Of the 16 shopkeepers, 10 are from Surendranagar, 2 are from Wadhwan, one shopkeeper from Lakhtar and 3 from Dasada. DeshGujarat