Telangana government warns ration dealers

Hyderabad: The state government has given a final notice to erring ration dealers to mend their ways.

At a meeting on Thursday, civil supplies commissioner C.V. Anand told ration dealers to mend their ways or face stringent action.

He told them they had earned a bad reputation due to irregularities and reports of black marketing and diversion of stocks meant for the poor. The government would not consider their demands like raising commission if they do not fall in line.

Mr Anand said the government had received many complaints of benami ration dealers, especially in the GHMC area. There were complaints of dealers not being local residents and not sticking to timing for running the shops.
He told them to treat this as a “final opportunity” before the cancellation of dealership. “If the government starts taking action against ration dealers for irregularities, many of you will face suspension and lose dealerships,” Mr Anand said.

He cited the example of rice millers who did not return large quantities of customised milling rice stocks meant for PDS to government but had fallen in line after the department took stringent measures.

Dealers said because of meagre commission and unscientific way of distribution of ration cards, they suffer huge losses.

Some of them said they are forced to resort to irregularities to cover up losses. They claimed that while some shops were allotted less than 500 cards, others get over 10,000.

With fewer cards, shop owners earn Rs 3,500 but spend Rs 5,250, they said. Mr Anand assured the shop-owners that he would take up re-allotment of cards issue in a scientific manner.