Jagdalpur/Balrampur: A wave of protests and strikes continues in Chhattisgarh. The Ration Dealers’ Association has now joined the agitation by launching an indefinite strike. As a result, beneficiaries are facing difficulties in getting ration supplies during the festive season.
485 PDS Shops Closed in Bastar District
In Bastar district alone, 485 PDS shops have been locked. This has affected more than two lakh beneficiaries. The Ration Dealers’ Association held a press conference in Jagdalpur and stated that they have been trying to draw the attention of the government and administration to their demands for a long time. However, their problems remain unresolved.
They alleged that the state government is not paying commission at the rates fixed by the central government. This has put them under severe financial pressure.
Key Demands of the Ration Dealers
- Immediate payment of financial support dues pending for 42 months.
- Clear explanation and official order regarding TDS being deducted from margin money, commission, and gunny bag amounts.
- Stop automatic stock deduction on the portal and correct stock figures as per actual inventory.
- Timely issuance of monthly allocation quantity on the 1st of every month.
- Provide Audit Trail Login ID explaining why the closing balance of December 2023 and opening balance of January 2024 are different for all ration items on the portal.
- Explain why storage is being done less than the allocated quantity.
“The commission has not been paid for several months. It has become difficult to support our families. Going on strike has become a compulsion,” said Hejambar Sethia, District President of the Ration Dealers Welfare Association.
Ration dealer Krishna Bajpayee said, “On 27 October, two quintals less ration arrived at my shop. I informed District Food Officer Ghanshyam Rathore and Food Inspector Payal Verma about it. Four-five people from the ward were present during the weighing and witnessed the situation. Now, if some people do not get ration due to this shortage, they will blame us.”
Protest in Balrampur as Well
In Balrampur, the Government Ration Dealers’ Association submitted a memorandum at the Collectorate and announced an indefinite strike. The memorandum, addressed to the Chief Minister and the Food Minister, was submitted through the Additional Collector. The demands include increase in commission, compensation for losses in ration distribution, and payment of pending financial support amount.
“For the last twenty years, we have been getting only 30 paise per kg as commission from the state government, while the central government provides 90 paise per kg. In other states, the rate is ₹250–300 per quintal. Our condition is so poor that even labour costs are not covered,” said Asim Mandal, Block President of the Ration Association.
A large number of government ration shop operators from all six development blocks of Balrampur district gathered at the Collectorate. They warned of continuing the strike if their demands are not met.
The indefinite strike by PDS ration dealers has added to the series of protests in Chhattisgarh, creating inconvenience for ration card holders, especially ahead of the festive season.
