NEW DELHI, May 27: The All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation on Wednesday condemned the government’s decision to raise dealers’ margin by a mere 10 paise per kg saying it was “wholly inadequate” to meet the expenses.
Though there was no official confirmation from the government, the Federation said it had learnt that the Cabinet approved raising the commission from 90 paise to Re 1 per kg for general category states, and from Rs 1.80 to Rs 1.95 per kg for hilly states — the first revision since April 2022.
“This paltry increase — arriving after a long wait of four years — serves as a cruel mockery of the 5.5 lakh ration dealers across the country, along with their employees and families,” All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation General Secretary Biswambhar Basu said.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a World Food Programme survey, commissioned following a 13-day nationwide agitation by ration dealers in 2020 at the behest of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which had recommended a minimum commission of Rs 10 per kg.
The survey had proposed differentiated rates — Rs 2.28 per kg for large shops, Rs 4.57 for medium-sized outlets, and Rs 9 for small ration shops — based on the number of ration cards attached to each store.
“Regrettably, the recommendations of this survey — conducted by an independent organisation appointed by the central government itself — have yet to be implemented to this day,” Basu said.
The Federation said it would meet next week to deliberate on its next course of action. (PTI)
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