Demonetisation: Dealers insist cut in load charges; ration supply hit in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: The non-supply of ration rice from October has added to the woes of the poor card holders who have been hit hard by demonetisation. Mr P. Thilothaman, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, has called a meeting on Wednesday to finalise the incentive for the ration shop dealers.
The CITU workers have been demanding Rs 1,600 for each load being lifted from the FCI godowns which the dealers have opposed.
When the UPA government brought in the National Food Security Act in 2013, the UDF government had raised concerns citing that a large section of people would be thrown out of the beneficiary list. The BJP government later withheld the monthly APL rice allotment following the failure of the state government to implement the NFSA. The LDF government has since partially implemented it forcing the ration card holders to starve. It has now ordered that by December 16 the pending rice quota has to be distributed.
Mr Johnny Nellore, president of All-Kerala Ration Dealers Association, told DC that the majority of the ration shops were yet to receive the rice quota.
“The state government has no godown to store rice, wheat and sugar. The ration dealers have to collect rice and other items from the godowns of private wholesale merchants as the CITU workers at FCI godowns have been fleecing the authorities,” said Mr Nellore.
Earlier, 120 loads of rice were being handled daily at FCI godowns. Now hardly 50 to 80 loads are being unloaded. Mr Nellore said that this quantity was inadequate. Similarly 14, 232 ration dealers across the state who were earlier getting 100 quintals of rice are getting only 30 quintals now. At the same time, Rs 150 crore commission is due to the ration shop dealers.
