The retail ration dealers have alleged that bureaucrats are standing in the way of resolving the current crisis in the public distribution system by blocking a fair system of remuneration for the retailers.
“Both Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Food Minister Thilothaman favour a fair deal for the retailers,” T. Mohammedali, general secretary of the All-Kerala Retail Ration Dealers’ Association, told The Hindu . “However, senior officials are blocking it on one pretext or the other,” he said.
He said the high-level committee of senior officials and representatives of the retailers, which had met twice already, could not finalise a fair remuneration scheme. He hoped the committee, meeting again on January 18, would find a solution.
Mr. Mohammedali said the retailers’ rock-bottom demand was a remuneration of ₹35,000 a month - ₹18,000 for the ration licensee, ₹10,000 for the salesman and ₹7,000 for the rented outlet. “If this is not sanctioned, the only option we have is to surrender the licences to the government and close the shop,” he added. He said the Food Minister’s statement that all the outlets would be computerised by April 1 was not practicable, unless the government took steps on a war footing to renovate the outlets. The computerisation would happen only if the government paid for it as well as for renovating the 14,000 outlets. He said the Central government was responsible for the current shortage of ration items. The Centre had cut the State’s quota of foodgrains from 16 lakh tonnes a month to 14.25 lakh tonnes. While 60 per cent of the families were eligible for rations, only 44 per cent were included in the Priority List.
He noted that the association had petitioned the Prime Minister to make provisions in the upcoming Union Budget for a fair remuneration for the retailers.
