17,000 fair price shops in Gujarat on indefinite strike

Gandhinagar: Around 17,000 fair price shops in Gujarat are going to remain shut as their owners commenced an indefinite strike today. The strike is in protest of various issues, including the demand for a minimum monthly commission of ₹20,000 for each shop owner responsible for distributing food grains through the public distribution system (PDS).

Fair price shop owners who distribute essential commodities to ration cardholders, have presented a series of demands to the government. They are calling for their commission to be fixed at ₹20,000. Presently, only 5,000 ration managers in the state receive commissions exceeding ₹20,000, while the remaining 12,000 managers fall below this threshold. The government had previously pledged to provide a ₹20,000 commission to shop owner who are serving less than 300 ration cards.

Prahlad Modi, the President of the Gujarat Fair Price Shop Owners and Kerosene License Holder Association, noted that former Minister Naresh Patel had ordered an increase in the commission from ₹13,000 to ₹20,000. On October 14, 2022, the government decided to grant a ₹20,000 commission. Despite a government promise made 15 months ago, the decision to implement the 20,000-rupee commission has not been carried out. As a result, the shop owners are going on strike.

Fair price shop owners have also raised concerns about a weight disparity of around 1-2 kilograms in every bag. Other demands include rectifying various issues in the barcode ration card system and addressing problems like frequent server crashes.

Earlier, about a month ago, a strike was announced, however it was called off when the government had assured an increase in the commission for the fair price shop license holders.

It is to be noted that this strike coincides with festive season of Diwali, which will directly affect the supply of essential items to those in need. As a result of this strike, 72 lakh cardholders will be deprived of sugar, oil, and grains during the Diwali festival.