MARGAO: At a workshop organised by the Civil Supplies Department in Margao, hundreds of fair price shop owners in South Goa expressed optimism regarding the viability of their businesses with the introduction of new mechanisms and services.
The workshop focused on creating awareness about the Common Service Centre (CSC) service and postal services at fair price shops.
The Civil Supplies Department shared details about these services, aiming to enlighten fair price shop owners about the benefits they can avail through the CSC and postal services. The department is in the process of introducing these services at fair price shops across the State of Goa.
Ramkrishna Salgaonkar, Civil Inspector of the Department, highlighted the importance of fair price shop owners registering to receive the benefits of CSC and postal services. He emphasised that the registration process would not only benefit the shop owners but also serve the public more effectively.
Gandhi Henriques, General Secretary of the All-Goa Consumer Co-operative Society and Fair Price Shop Owners Association, acknowledged the initial reluctance among members regarding CSC services. However, he mentioned positive developments and expressed hope in the new mechanisms introduced by the government to handle both Point of Sale (POS) machines and the main weighing scale, facilitating CSC services.
“Regarding this CSC, there has been reluctance among our members. Things seem to be improving. At the last meeting of the government-appointed committee to make the fair price shops commercially more viable, we were informed that there will be a new type of mechanism which will be able to handle both POS machines as well as the main weighing scale,” he added.
While fair price shop owners are eager to register for these services, they also call for the resolution of pending issues, particularly the release of commissions for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which they believe is crucial for the viability of their businesses.
