Fair-price shopkeepers across the state have decided to go on strike from August 1 if their demands of hike in commission or status as government employees, among others, are not met.
The state has 55,000 fair-price shops and 50,000 retail kerosene hawkers. The All-Maharashtra Fair Price Shopkeepers Federation, which works towards the welfare of shopkeepers, on July 27 demanded that the government hike the commission shopkeepers receive per quintal. Currently shopkeepers receive Rs 70 per quintal as commission but they want this to be increased to Rs 200.
The federation wants the government should implement suggestions of the D.P. Wadhwa Committee, which was constituted by the Supreme Court. The committee has asked the state government to found the Food Corporation. Tamil Nadu state has a Food Corporation and it has hired fair-price shopkeepers as government employees.
“The Food Security Act was implemented in 2013 and the Act says the government should supply foodgrains to rationing shops. But till date we have to transport foodgrain from godowns to the shops. We want the government to transport foodgrain to the shop. We cannot afford to transport food grain to shops and manage shops in Rs 70 per quintal. Currently we have to pay Rs 110 per quintal and we receive Rs 70. The business is suffering losses,” said Vijay Gupta, treasurer of the federation.
“Kerosene retailers are worst hit as most customers have opted for LPG. They receive 23 paise for every litre of kerosene sold. A retailer receives a quota of hardly 100-200 litres a month, and his survival has become impossible with this income. Earlier they used to get quota of 2,000-3,000 litres a month and that time it was manageable,” he added.
“There are five types of ration cards and we have to maintain five registers. Customers keep arguing about different schemes like BPL, Food Security Act etc. The government should pay us the rent of shops and allow us to keep aides,” he said.
