MARGAO: Hundreds of fair price shop (FPS) owners are in a confused state of mind following the Union Government’s promise to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), the free ration (food grains under the public distribution system) scheme for another five years. The shop owners still await their commission dues of nearly Rs 1 crore cumulatively.
At present, the fair price shop owners have been discussing the issue of pending dues as there is no sign of releasing the same.
Director of Civil Supplies held a meeting with the representatives of (FPS) owners at Panjim on Monday.
The FPS owners were informed that pending dues have not yet been released by the Union Ministry for Food and Consumer Affairs.
Besides, the department is facing a tough time with regards to supply of food grains at the fair price shops following the poor response to the tender.
However, civil supplies officials assured the FPS owners that the matter will be pushed through the State Chief Secretary, before requesting the State government to take up the matter with the Central authorities.
The fair price shop owners are facing a difficult situation as the reimbursement of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has been continuously delayed and the last instalment of Rs one crore has been outstanding besides the non-payment of Priority Households (PHH) dues of August, September and October 2023.
The FPS owners claimed that they are suffering for a long time as operating the fair price shops has turned non-viable.
Gandhi Henriques, General Secretary, All Goa Consumer Co-operative Society and Fair Price Shop Owners Association said that hundreds of fair price shop owners still await their pending amount to be released.
“On one hand the Prime Minister has announced extension of the said scheme for another five years and we, fair price shop owners in Goa, are struggling to get our dues for the last several months towards the free distribution of good grains,” he said.
Another fair price shop owner from Salcete said that they have continued to suffer losses with regards to the said scheme.
“The government of Goa needs to come out with some solution or expedite the process,” he urged.
Meanwhile, sources informed that the Civil Supplies Department held a meeting with the representatives of the fair price shop owners at Panjim wherein officials disclosed that the pending dues are yet to be released by the Centre.
The department has assured the FPS owners that the issue will be put forth through the Chief Secretary before requesting the State government to take up the issue with the Centre.
It has been also revealed that the department is facing a tough time pertaining to supplying the food grains to the fair price shops, as for the fourth time they would not proceed with the tender due to single bidder.
