NEW DELHI, Aug 2: Protesting against the central government giving a meagre rise in commission paid to the fair price shop dealers was, among others, Prahlad Modi, the elder brother of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Members of the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation were sitting on dharna at the Jantar Mantar, Delhi, to press their various demands including a hike in margin money in view of the price rise of essential commodities. Prahlad Modi is the vice-president of the Federation and was also for yeas the president of the Gujarat Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Association.
Prahlad Modi along with several other members of the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation (AIFPSDF) gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, holding banners and raising slogans.
“A delegation of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation will submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, listing our long-standing demands for the sake of our survival. With the current situation of hike in the cost of living and overhead expenditures for running shops, a raise of mere 20 paise per kg in our margin is a cruel joke. We request the Union government to grant us relief and end our financial miseries,” Prahlad Modi said.
He further stated that All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation will hold a national executive meeting on Wednesday to chalk-out their next course of action. All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation national general secretary Biswambhar Basu said they also plan to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday.
The All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation has been demanding compensation for loss on rice, wheat and sugar, and also for edible oil and pulses to be supplied through fair price shops. It has also demanded that the ‘West Bengal Ration Model’ of free distribution be implemented across the country.
Further, the members said all due margins for all the states, including Jammu and Kashmir, should be reimbursed immediately. “We also demand that edible oil, pulses and LPG gas cylinders be supplied through fair price shops. Rural areas’ fair price shop dealers should be allowed to function as direct procurement agents for rice and wheat. Our demands were also raised by TMC MP Sougata Roy in Parliament,” Basu said, adding that their protests will continue until their demands are met.
(Manas Dasgupta)