Ration dealers federation writes to Centre seeking permission to sell liquor in ration shops

The All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation wrote to the Center seeking permission to sell liquor in ration shops.

Reportedly, the letter was sent to Sudhanshu Pandey, secretary of the Ministry of Food and Supplies, on September 20. 

In order to rationally consider their demands, the organisation's general secretary, Biswambhar Basu, sent copies of the letter to Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Finance Secretary, Union Revenue Secretary, Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Protection and Food and the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Food, Deputy Commissioners and Food Secretaries of all states.

In the letter, the ration traders asked central government to take necessary steps and decisions to save ration shops in the country. 

''State governments should also come forward in this regard. Hence, it has appealed to the central government to sell the licensed liquor from the ration shops,'' the letter read.

According to the data provided by the All India Fair Price Traders Federation, the number of ration shops approved by the government in the country is 5,37,868. Around two crore people are directly associated with these shops and indirectly more than five million people are dependent on them. 

The dealers claim that the ration dealers are not seeing any profit from the way ration system is going on in the existing infrastructure. 

They will have to think of alternative ways to keep the ration shops alive. So, they have informed the central government about the sale of liquor in the form of a proposal. 

According to them, not only the sale of liquor but also the sale of 5 kg LPG cylinders from ration shops be allotted by the central government. 

The ration traders are hopeful that the central and state governments will take timely decisions considering the actual situation.