‘Release arrears and pending commissions or face stir’: Assam Fair Price Shop Dealers Demand Pending Commission Payments by July 10, Threaten Statewide Stir

LAKHIMPUR: The All Assam Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Association (AAFPSDA) has demanded the Government of Assam to release the unpaid amount of commission to the shop dealers, which has been pending for five months, by July 10. Otherwise the association will initiate stir from July 15.

Regarding the demand and declaration of initiating the stir, AAFPSDA office bearers convened a press conference at North Lakhimpur Press Club on Monday, addressing the media persons, AAFPSDA president Dharanidhar Borah and general secretary Harinarayan Dutta said, “The families of a total of  33,167 fair price shop dealers of the State, who has been successfully distributing the free rice to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which started in December 2015 under the National Food Security Act-2013, are currently suffering from many burning problems. Despite the distribution of free rice allocated by Union Government to 2,31,54,396 beneficiaries of 66,27,881 ration card holders in the State through the Electronic Point Of Sale (EPOS) machine, the fair price dealers have been desperate for their commission money for distributing rice for a total of five months since February till June this year.”

“We have been frequently demanding and discussing various problems of the fair price dealers with the State Government but till date we have not received any good result due to lack of goodwill on the part of the government. Despite many challenges in the flood-hit State, we have been making ‘Anna Seva Din’ success within 10 days following all the directives of the government. However, it is unfortunate that the government has kept the fair price dealers starving for five months inspite of making a great public welfare scheme like food distribution a success. We are also Indian citizens. Such indifferent behaviour of the government towards our families has strained us financially and we have completely failed to support our families. Such actions by a government with the aim of public welfare can never be acceptable,” the president of the AAFPSDA added.

He further said, “In addition, 40 months’ arrears of Rs 42.90 per quintal from December 2015 to March 2019 are yet to be paid to the fair price shop dealers of the State by the government. The central government has been releasing commission of Rs 26 per quintal for distribution of rice through EPOS machines under the Food Security Act but the state government has not paid a single rupee of the commission to the fair price shop dealers of the state. The State executive meeting of the association held in Guwahati on 14-06-2024, all the district committees strongly opposed such action of the government and decided to file a case in the High Court on both these issues in the interest of recovering the right of the fair price shop dealers.”

“Under the Food Security Act, there is a provision for paying commission to distribute rice to the fair price shop dealers in advance but this has not happened in practice. As a result, after completing rice distribution for 5 months continuously, we are still desperate for commission and arrears. The shopkeepers are burdened with the task of maintaining account of PMGKAY rice distribution during COVID-19 season, successful implementation of e-KYC on time, uploading the amount of rice distributed offline from October to June 2024 for various reasons. Despite such circumstances, the government has completely failed to pay the due commission even after imposing all the work of the department on the heads of the fair price shop dealers”, the president of the association asserted

Through this press conference, AAFPSDA president and the general secretary demanded the Chief Minister and Civil Supply Minister to provide relieve to the fair price shop dealers by paying the arrears and commission money by July 10. “Otherwise, we will lose our patience. If the fair price shop dealers do not receive their full five-month commission by July 10, we will stage a three-day sit-in in the State capital from July 15 as per decision taken in the executive meeting and the government will have to face strong protests”, the president and the general secretary of the association said.

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