PANAJI
Hundreds of ‘fair price shop’ operators had their hopes dashed last week when Civil Supplies Minister Ravi Naik ruled out any revision of their margins despite a clamour for it from a number of MLAs in the Goa legislative assembly.
At present there is no proposal before the government for any change in their commissions, Naik said in a written reply.
The last time the margins or commissions for the fair price shop operators were fixed was back in 2018.
When the demands for grants of the Civil Supplies department were taken up for discussion in the House on Friday last, several legislators including two from the treasury benches -- Sankalp Amonkar and Ulhas Tuenkar -- demanded greater commission for the fair price shop operators.
Fair price shop owners earn one rupee per kilo on rice for the below poverty line ration card holder and Rs two per kilo on the rice sold to APL card holders.
They also earn Rs 2.80 per kg of wheat sold to the APL cardholders.
In 2018, the State government had increased the commission for fair price shop owners on rice and wheat sold to APL card holders but reduced it on the rice for the BPL quota.
Meanwhile, the MLAs during the discussion on the Civil Supplies demands for grants had also demanded that the sugar and oil quotas which used to be allotted to ration cardholders in the past be revived under the PDS.
Siolim MLA, Delilah Lobo also demanded that BPL cardholders are not entitled to wheat under the PDS system and sought that they be given at least 5 kgs of wheat monthly.
She said the government should be benevolent and ensure that these demands are met before the upcoming Ganesh festival.
