Ration shops of Hyderabad force customers buy 'non-PDS' items

HYDERABAD: Public Distribution System dealers (ration shops) in the city are insisting on card-holders to buy at least three commodities like oil, pulses and sugar which are not part of the essentials supplied by the department of civil supplies. And, shockingly, they are selling these items at prices higher than the MRP.

Besides, the recently-introduced Ration from Anywhere (portability) Scheme has come as a godsend. With the footfalls increasing in number steeply, the dealers are having unexpected windfall. They are resorting to the malpractice to earn more on non-subsidised goods to cover the alleged losses they are incurring on account of inadequate or unpaid commission payable by the government.

According to the civil supplies department, every month 13,10,278 quintals of rice, 2,93,800 quintals of wheat, and kerosene are supplied to the dealers in Hyderabad district. The total number of Food Security Card (FSC) holders is 5,56,675 and the number of Fair Price Shops is 755.

A year ago the government had stopped distributing sugar, oil, pulses and some other commodities under PDS. It buys rice from millers at Rs 27 a kg and distributes it to consumers at just one rupee, subsidising it heavily. To make up for the loss of commission on rice, dealers are forcing consumers to buy salt, oil, sugar, salt and pulses which are not supplied by the civil supplies department. D Manjula, a PDS beneficiary at Borabanda, said that every month she would get 36 kg of rice for Rs 36. But dealers are forcing consumers to buy any three other items like oil, pulses and sugar, which they sell at high prices, from this month. “If we refuse to take the open-market commodities, the dealer will feign that the e-PoS machine is not working because of some problem like signals or other just to turn us away,” she added.
This latest malpractice is not being resorted to by a few dealers in Borabanda as well as at Indira Nagar in Banjara Hills.

DEALERS' GROUSE

Dealers have been demanding that the commission on one kilo of rice be increased from 20 paise to 70 paise but the state government has not acceded to their demand. “With the state not having paid the commission to us for two years, how can we afford shop rent and other expenses? The government is implementing new rules and regulations concerning fair price shops but when it comes to dealer’s commission, there is no discussion,” said a dealer, explaining the reason for dealers are selling items that are not supplied by the government. When contacted, district supply officer, Hyderabad, MK Rathod said that dealers cannot sell commodities that are not supplied by the civil supplies department.

Ration shops to stay open for 20 days in Hyd

Owing to increased ration portability transactions in the city, the Telangana State Civil Supplies Department (TSCSD) has increased the date limit set for drawing commodities from its present 15 days to 20 days. Ration will be distributed in the first 20 days of every month in Hyderabad whereas the date limit will be first 15 days of every month in the districts.