MARGAO
Demanding that the Civil Supplies Minister and Director first decide whether ration card holders would receive three kg or just a kilogram of onions a month through the fair price shops, Salcete fair price shop owners are up in arms over the reported threats issued by the Director of Civil Supplies to cancel their licences in the event they do not lift the onion quota immediately.
Chairman of the fair price shop owners association, Joaquim Fernandes pointed out that the Director of Civil Supplies has threatened to cancel the licences of the fair price owners if they do not lift the onion quota from the godowns.
He made it clear that the fair price shop owners would run into losses if they are forced to sell only one kilogram of onion to the card holders instead of three kilograms as announced by the Civil Supplies Minister. “We were called by the Civil Supplies Minister last week and assured that the fair price shops will get a commission of Rs 3, if we sell three kgs of onions at the rate of Rs 32 per kilogram. Besides commission, the Minister had promised to pay Re 1 as transport charges and 50 paise in the event of damage for the onions,” Joaquim recalled.
He, however, pointed out that the Civil Supplies director has now sent a communique to the fair price shops to sell only a kilogram of onion to each of the card holders. “This decision of the Civil Supplies director is totally unacceptable and not in the interest of the people. How can the Director expect people to stand in line just to lay their hands on a kilogram of onion in times of pandemic. Secondly, the fair price shop owners will have to engage a worker to sell the onions, but there’s no assurance whether the department will make the payment,” he added.
To a question, Joaquim said the fair price shop owners are ready to sell three kilogram of onions and hoped the Minister and the Director first decide on the quantum of onions each ration card holder will be entitled to as per the government decision.
Chairman of Varca Co-operative Society, Nazario Pinto said the fair price shop owners had all agreed to the Minister’s decision to sell three kg onions through the fair price shops. “But, we have now received a message, warning that the director will cancel the licences of the fair price shops if we don’t lift the quota. In this pandemic, why should the people be forced to stand in a queue just to get a kilogram of onion. This decision to cut down the quota from three kgs to one kg is not acceptable to the fair price shop owners,” he said.
Saying that the fair price shop owners are ready to lift the quota as promised by the Minister, Pinto asserted that the owners will not lift the quota if the card holders are entitled to receive only a kg of onion. “Let the Civil Supplies director take action against the fair price owners,” he said, adding that people cannot be made to queue up at the ration shops just to lay their hands on a kilogram of onions.
