Ahmedabad: In a major relief for lakhs of beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Gujarat, the Fair Price Shop Owners’ Association has called off its strike. The shopkeepers withdrew the strike, which had been ongoing for the past few days over a series of pending demands, after successful negotiations with the Food and Civil Supplies Department.

Among the key demands accepted by the government is the doubling of the commission for fair price shopkeepers from ₹1.50 to ₹3 per kilogram. The proposal for the revised commission will be forwarded to the Finance Department within the next 15 days for final approval.

All Gujarat Fair Price Shop Association president Prahlad Modi said, “The meeting between the Association representatives and the Cabinet Minister and Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies was held in a constructive and positive atmosphere, leading to an amicable resolution of the issue.”

Representatives of the Fair Price Shop Owners’ Association confirmed that, apart from the commission hike, the government has also shown a positive response toward the proposal to raise the minimum monthly commission from ₹20,000 to ₹30,000. This proposal, too, will soon be forwarded to the Finance Department for final approval.

Following the agreement, shopkeepers will now resume operations by generating new ration transaction slips (challans). As a result, around 17,000 fair price shops across the state will reopen from tomorrow. Beneficiaries who were unable to receive their monthly food grains during the strike period will now be able to collect their supplies on time. DeshGujarat