Expressing that running Fair Price Shop (FPS) had become financially unviable and opposing coupon system introduced by the Department of Food and Civil Supplies recently, the Belagavi Government Fair Price Shop Owners’ Association president Rajashekhar M. Talwar, general secretary Dinesh C. Bagade and 13 others surrendered their licenses to the Deputy Commissioner as a mark of protest on Thursday.
Later speaking to mediapersons, Mr. Talwar said the decision to surrender licence was symbolic. They demanded fixed monthly commission of at least Rs.10,000 to the owner and Rs.5000 each to the two workers at the shop.
“If the government failed to concede this genuine demand, all the 1,756 owners of FPSs in the district will surrender licences to the government on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti,” he said.
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He said the FPS was an important link towards effective implementation of the government public distribution system but, of late these ration shops had become financially unviable due to increasing cost of shop rentals and maintenance, let alone earning any profit to make out a living for the shop owner and his family.
An association member drew attention towards what was a bitter truth and said the shop owners were managing to survive from out of small quantities of unsold food grains. But, the introduction of coupon system coming into effect from Sept.1 would adversely affect the owners as they would be left with not even single grain even if a card holder chose not to buy his allotted quota of food grains.
Mr.Talwar said the monthly commission earned by an owner of FPS catering to the needs of say 500 cards was between Rs.3000 and Rs.3,500 only, which was too meagre to meet the cost of maintenance and earn even reasonable commission to support family.
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Therefore, the government should take a humanitarian and practical view of the situation considering not only the increased cost of maintenance of the shop, but also increased cost of living due to steep price rise during last few couple of years and announce fixed monthly commission. Also, the government should bear the cost of electricity bills.
KRV protest
In the meanwhile, workers of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike led by district convener Mahadev Talwar staged a protest stating that FPS owners were selling other products and forcing the card holders to buy tea power, salt, incense sticks and other commodities.
However, Mr.Talwar said the previous government had taken a sympathetic view of the plight of FPS owners and allowed selling of other commodities at the FPS so that it could help them make some additional earning.