Ration Card Rules: The secretary stressed that ration shops should move with the times and become ‘modern sales centres’. He said that the dealers of ration shops can start working as Common Service Center (CSC).
World Food Programme: If you have your own ration dealer’s shop then this news will make you happy. Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said that the government is considering various options to make ration shops vibrant,
modern and profitable by enabling them to offer more products and services in addition to operating in the PDS system. The Food Ministry organized a seminar to deliberate on initiatives to make Ration Shops (FPS) more vibrant and economically more profitable organizations.
60,000 Dealers The secretary, who has become a CSC,
stressed that ration shops should move with the times and become ‘modern sales centres’. He said that the dealers of ration shops can start working as Common Service Center (CSC). Already 60,000 dealers have become CSCs and they can also be banking correspondents. He said the Center has written to states to allow ration shop dealers to stock non-PDS goods like FMCG products and many states have already given permission.
There are about 5.3 lakh ration shops in the country.
Chopra said the government has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) and the World Food Program to optimize the routes of these fair price shops to reduce transportation charges and save on food subsidies.
is included. Giving information about this workshop, the Food Secretary said that there are about 5.3 lakh ration shops in the country, out of which about one lakh are run by cooperatives and self-help groups, while about 10,000 ration shops are run by panchayats. Have been Private people are running more than three lakh ration shops.
Government increased dealers’ margin
The Secretary informed that these ration shop dealers have complained in the past that distribution of only food grains under NFSA was not really an economically viable proposition for them. Chopra highlighted that the Central Government has already increased the dealers’ margin and encouraged the States/UTs to participate in the same on their part.
He said, ‘What we are trying to do is to ensure that they are able to become multi-service organizations. Therefore, fair price shop dealers should not remain dealers of essential commodities under NFSA, rather they can also tie up with other organizations.
Chopra said that ration shop dealers can tie up with organizations like CSC. The secretary said, “This is being done in many states, especially in Gujarat, which is giving very good results. He is associated with Common Service Centers, a dealer of some ration shops, and is earning Rs 50,000 a month. Which I think is a very good amount for any dealer.
