Dealers of over 20,000 fair price shops under the public distribution system (PDS) across Karnataka will get commission of Rs. 14 more per quintal for disbursing food grains to eligible beneficiaries.
The State Cabinet, on Wednesday, has hiked the profit margin of PDS fair price shop dealers from the present Rs. 56 per quintal to Rs. 70 per quintal of food grains they distribute to families below and above poverty line in the State. It also decided to provide two gunny bags to the PDS shop dealers to store items.
With the objective to ensure transparency in PDS, biometric based point of sale machines was also introduced a few years ago to check diversion of items.
Members of the Fair Price Dealers’ Association have been demanding higher commission for disbursing one quintal of food grains allotted under PDS and had even staged protests in different cities. They contended that the expense incurred by the fair price shop dealers, including rent for the premises and the wages to be paid towards labour, had increased in recent times.
New guidelines
A meeting of the State Cabinet, presided by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, also cleared a new set of guidelines for release of prisoners. It also approved release of Rs 70.36 crore for construction of a district hospital in Mysuru.
