Ujjain: MPCSF strike hits functioning of governemnt fair price shops, 10000 families deprived of ration

Half naked employees demonstrate against government attitude, demand immediate solution

Ujjain: About 550 employees of Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Society Federation (MPCSF) in the district, who have been on an indefinite strike, demonstrated half naked against the non fulfillment of their demands on Friday. The strike has affected the functioning of at least   324 Government fair price shops, which have been closed indefinitely since Thursday. The strike has also affected about 10000 poor families of the district, who have been unable to get ration, while thousands of farmers have not able to register for the procurement of wheat process, under the Bhavantar Scheme.

MPSCF district president Krishnapal Singh Jhala said this protest had begun from Thursday and the workers demonstrated in a half naked state for their four pending demands. All workers removed their shirts and protested against the policies of the Government. Jhala further informed that the demands of the workers included district level cadre, pay scale and transfer at district level. However, the workers got agitated after these demands were not fulfilled even after continued appeals. “MPSCF has been constantly giving memorandums and application letters to remind the Government of our demands but all we get is assurance,” he added.

Currently, under the service rules of cooperative employees, there is a provision that each seller would run two fair price shops but the food department had ordered that each seller could run only one fair price shop, he said. An open protest for the rights of the cooperative workers will be done in this regard, he added.