More than 25,000 fair price shop dealers from Jharkhand on January 1, 2024 joined the nationwide indefinite 'Ration Bandh' call given by All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation (AIFPSDF).
“The strike might impact more than 65 lakh beneficiaries covered under national and State food security schemes in Jharkhand, if it goes long,” an office bearer of the dealer association said.
General secretary of Jharkhand unit of Fair Price Shop Dealers Association (FPSDA) Sanjay Kundu told PTI that the 'Ration Bandh' call has been given in protest against the Central Government’s failure to ensure a minimum monthly income guarantee for the dealers and some other issues.
"The agitation has been called to press for various demands of the FPS dealers such as ensuring minimum monthly income guarantee of ₹50,000 for dealers, implementing the recommendations of World Food Program and allowing distribution through e-PoS device by inserting Aadhaar number of the cardholders in case of emergency," he said.
Mr. Kundu said that they also have some State-specific issues. "We have been demanding to increase our commission from ₹1 per kg to ₹3 per kg and providing shop to family member on compassionate ground in case of death of a dealer," he said.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, however, on Friday during a function to mark years of his government, had said that the government was planning to increase the commission of the dealers. "The FPS dealers have been demanding to increase their commission. The government is working on this line and it will be done soon," the CM had said.
The FPS dealers are also demanding the commissions of 13 months against the distribution of ration during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
