The All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation wrote to the Center seeking permission to sell liquor in ration shops. The letter was sent to Sudhanshu Pandey, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Food and Supplies, on September 20. The letter was issued by the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation. In order to consider their demands rationally, the general secretary of the organization, Biswambhar Basu, has sent a copy of the letter to Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Finance Secretary, Union Revenue Secretary, Union Minister of State for Consumer Protection and Food Ministry and Food Commissioners and Food Secretaries of all states. Ration dealers claim that the central government should take necessary steps and decisions to save the country’s ration shops. The state governments should also come forward. Therefore, they have applied to the central government to sell licensed liquor from ration shops.
According to the information provided by the All India Fair Price Dealers Federation, the number of ration shops approved by the government in the country is five lakh 37 thousand 868. About two and a half crore people are directly linked with these shops. And indirectly, more than five and a half million people are dependent. The dealers claim that the ration dealers are not seeing profit in the way the ration system is running in the current infrastructure. They have to think of alternative ways to keep the ration shops alive. Therefore, they have informed the central government about the sale of alcohol in the form of a proposal. Ration dealers hope that the central and state governments will take timely decisions considering the current situation.
Biswambhar Basu, general secretary of the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation, said, “There are two to four employees in each ration shop. There are 3-4 more members in the family of owners and employees. It is estimated that more than five crore people depend on ration shops for their livelihood. So central and state governments should keep ration shops alive. We have made such a proposal to the central government to keep the owners and workers alive by keeping the ration shops alive.”
Today Basu reaches Delhi for a 3-day meeting with the Food Department. While speaking to Zee News English from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, he said, “There are a lot of things to discuss. Among these, the liquor license is one of the agenda. This will help us to survive. Therefore, I urge the government to save Ration shops. I truly believe that the government will consider our demands.”
Bureau Report
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