Release pending commission: AAFPSDA urges CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: The All Assam Fair Price Shop Dealers' Association (AAFPSDA) has urged the State Government to release the arrear of their commission which is due to them for the distribution of rice under Public Distribution System (PDS).

The organization made this appeal to the government by convening a press meet at North Lakhimpur Press Club on Monday. Addressing the media persons in the presence of president Dharanidhar Borah, general secretary Hari Narayan Dutta along with other members, AAFPSDA spokesperson Gunjan Kumar Borah stated that the fair price shop dealers of the State had to get a total amount of Rs. 725,91,69,846 as arrear for distributing the rice under the PDS since December, 2015 till date.

Out of the amount, Rs. 313,85,06,514 is due for the distribution of rice under National Food Security Act-2013 since December, 2015 till June, 2020 while Rs. 232,48,19,640 is due from July, 2020 till June of this year. On the other hand, the fair price shop dealers of the State are still to be paid an amount of Rs. 179,58,43,692 as commission for distributing rice under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in two periods, one from April, 2020 to November of the same year and the other from May to June of this year. However, an amount of Rs. 732,31,81,866, the due commission from December, 2015 to June, 2020 was already paid to the fair price shop dealers.

The AAFPSDA spokesperson in the press meet further asserted, "A total of 38,235 fair price shop dealers of the State have been distributing 1,35,479 metric ton (MT) rice among 2,52,00,000 beneficiaries per month since December, 2015 when NFSA-2013 was enforced. The Union Government fixed Rs. 143 as commission for the fair price shop dealers per quintal for the distribution of rice by tagging Assam as Special State by enforcing an ordinance on September 17, 2015. But unfortunately, the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government irregularly paid only Rs. 100.10 to the fair price shop dealers by cutting 30 per cent of the fixed commission after taking a cabinet decision on January 3, 2014. Thus, an amount of Rs. 732,31,81,866 was paid to the fair price shop dealers as the due commission from December, 2015 to June, 2020. The successive State Government did not rectify this decision though our organization submitted consecutive memoranda and initiated protest programmes opposing it."

Gunjan Kumar Borah further asserted that the organization submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 9 in 2019 regarding the issue. He added that the commission issue had not been settled during a long period of 66 months despite the constant demands raised by AAFPSDA.

It led the organization to submit two more memoranda to Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 20 and June 1. In this connection, the delegation of the organization submitted one more memorandum to the Chief Minister on June 21 when he came to visit Lakhimpur. The organization said that the Chief Minister gave word to the delegation to release the arrear commission as per rate of Rs. 143.

Through the press meet the organization appealed to the Chief Minister to release the arrear of the commission, including the commission due for 22 months for the distribution of rice under PMGKAY, at earliest to the fair price shop dealers in order to save their families from serious pecuniary difficulties.

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