Ahmedabad: Talks between the Gujarat government and fair price shop operators failed to yield any positive outcome, prompting a statewide indefinite strike by over 17,000 ration shop dealers, disrupting food grain distribution across the state.

The meeting, chaired by Principal Secretary of Food and Civil Supplies Department Mona Khandhar at the Ahmedabad Collector’s office, ended without consensus. Prahlad Modi, president of the Fair Price Shop Association, accused the government of taking a “dictatorial approach” and said the dealers would continue their protest.

The government, meanwhile, appealed to shop owners to resume operations and ensure the timely supply of food grains to beneficiaries. Khandhar said the Chief Minister and the Minister had shown a positive attitude towards the association’s demands. “Eleven out of twenty issues have been accepted immediately, while the process on the remaining policy-specific matters is progressing rapidly,” she said, urging the dealers to cooperate in serving the needy.

The strike has brought ration distribution to a standstill in several districts, including Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Mehsana, Vadodara, and Bhavnagar. In Rajkot alone, nearly 3 lakh ration card holders are likely to be affected, with over 700 shopkeepers joining the protest.

The dealers have been demanding a hike in commission and the resolution of other long-pending issues. With negotiations collapsing, the stalemate between the government and ration dealers shows no signs of ending soon. DeshGujarat