PERNEM: Fair price shop owners from Pernem have appealed to the government to pay them a monthly salary, to help tide over their serious financial crises.
They have sought a meeting with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to sort out their grievances. They said they cannot afford to give the grain free to card holders since they have many incidental expenses. “The government is giving free grain to people but we have to bear the expenses of paying rent, wages to helpers, wages to labourers and transport. We somehow managed during the covid period, but now it’s getting difficult to bear the expenses as we get only Rs 30 per kilo,” complained a fair price shop owner.
Sunita Bugde, who also owns a fair price shop, said, “We distribute the free quota by spending from our pockets. It was understood during the pandemic but now it has been three years. In the month of December, we were asked to pay an amount for the quota, and the government told us to distribute it free of cost. Two days back, when we asked for our payment, we were told that they haven’t received any instructions on the same.”
“The government needs to pay us a salary so we can make ends meet and pay our workers; we will not survive in this business otherwise,” she said
