Centre tells states to enhance financial viability of fair price shops

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 27

The Centre said on Wednesday that proactive measures need to be taken to enhance the financial viability of fair price shops. There is a proposal of retail selling of small LPG cylinders through FPS on the anvil, according to an official statement.

Food and Public Distribution Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey today stressed the need of taking proactive measures on enhancing the financial viability of FPS in a press conference. Ministry officials added that representatives from Oil Marketing Companies appreciated the proposal for retail selling of small LPG cylinders through FPS and said that necessary support required will be provided in coordination with interested states/UT governments.

Pandey was addressing a conference on enhancing the financial viability of Fair Price Shops in which representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEiTY), Department of Financial Services(DFS), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited(HPCL), CSC e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC) and all States/UTs participated in the VC.

Pandey also advised the CSC to conduct separate workshops/webinars with different groups of States/UTs based on their current status to provide sensitisation on potential benefits, capacity building of FPS and to assist them in the implementation of these initiatives, according to the statement.

A representative from the Department of Financial Services appreciated the proposal to provide financial services through FPS, extending MUDRA loans to FPS dealers for capital augmentation and informed that necessary support would be provided for the same in coordination with interested states/UT governments, it added

Pandey said different states/UTs can take up the initiatives and tailor it to suit their indivi.dual requirements. He also advised States/UT to conduct continuous awareness and outreach campaigns simultaneously to sensitise FPS dealers on the benefits of these initiatives.