MARGAO: Fair Price Shops’ (FPS) owners have refused to procure onions and provide them to ration card holders on conditions laid down by the Civil Supplies Department and said they will not be afraid of the warning issued by the Director of getting their licences revoked.
Nazario Pinto, chairman of the Varca Cooperative Society, said that the Minister of Civil Supplies had assured them of supplying 3 kgs of onions and 5 kgs if need arises after each ration card. However, Pinto said that the letter from the Civil Supplies Dept director has asked them to buy one kg onion and supply it to the ration card holders.
“The Minister assured us three kgs and Civil Supplies is supplying one kg. We don’t fear their warning. We don’t want to go and pick up onions at 1 kg per card and then start a sale and put citizens at risk during this COVID pandemic period just for one kg of onions,” Pinto said.
The Chairman of the All Goa Fair Price Shop Owners and Consumer Cooperative Societies Association, Joaquim Fernandes, said they were assured of a large quantity of onions during the meeting with the Civil Supplies Minister. However, Fernandes said, the quantity has been reduced now.
“Should we make people stand in a queue for one kg onion and should we make trips to the department to get 1 kg onion, per one ration card?” he questioned. “The minister and the director are speaking two different things. We are ready to take three kgs and not one kg,” Fernandes added.
