Ahmedabad: Fair price shops across Gujarat have remained closed since Sunday as shopkeepers launched a statewide strike, leaving beneficiaries troubled. The Gujarat Fair Price Shops and Kerosene License Holders Association called for the strike in protest against the government’s decision to make E-KYC mandatory for ration card holders.

Adding momentum to the protest, the All Gujarat Fair Price Shop Association, representing around 15,000 ration shop owners, has also extended its support to the strike. The shopkeepers have vowed to take a strong stand against what they call an “unjust policy.”

The striking traders are also demanding that the commission for distributing one kilogram of grain be raised from ₹1.50 to ₹3. Additionally, they are urging the government to revise the condition for earning a ₹20,000 monthly commission. Currently, the commission is granted only if 97% of the grain is distributed, a threshold the traders want lowered to 93%.

Meanwhile, residents unaware of the strike were seen returning empty-handed from Public Distribution System (PDS) shops in Ahmedabad. One such customer said, “I came all the way from Vejalpur. This is the third or fourth time. We poor people need grain to survive. I came yesterday, and again today — still nothing.”

The poor people who came to get the ration are hoping that a resolution will be reached soon and that ration distribution will resume promptly.

The mandatory E-KYC requirement has emerged as a major point of contention. Since May 13, ration has not been distributed to beneficiaries who have not completed the E-KYC process. Many of these individuals are poor and live in rural areas, where lack of digital literacy and infrastructure makes online verification difficult. As a result, thousands of eligible ration card holders have been denied access to food grains. DeshGujarat