Brahmapur Government Control Dealers Association secretary Iswar Mohanty alleged that the Government has deliberately paid a deaf ear to the long standing demands of the control dealers in the State.
Out of the 28,000 control dealers under the public distribution system (PDS) in the State, more than 2,000 are working in Ganjam district alone. Mohanty pointed out that these control dealers have been very sincerely doing their duty and especially during the natural calamities like Phailin and Hudhud they efficiently distributed rations among the people in the worst-hit Ganjam district. However, Mohanty said that the Government has been very apathetic towards the control dealers and has chosen to remain cold in mitigating their problems.
He alleged that the existing rate of commission given to the control dealers is too meager making their survival difficult. Though the association has drawn the attention of the concerned authorities to this and has urged for a hike in the commission, but nothing tangible has happened. Similarly, the Government is also silent on reimbursement of rent of the shop rooms and energy charges and provision of helping assistants and their remuneration. On the one hand, the Government has decided to provide essential food items to the poor beneficiaries in the State from December under the Food Security Act, though the new digital ration card could be supplied to only 20 per cent of the total eligible beneficiaries so far.
Union joint secretary Bhukant Sahu said 80 per cent of the eligible beneficiaries under the scheme are yet to get their new ration cards. How can the Government stop providing essential food commodities to them, he questioned.
The association said that thousands of control dealers will take out a rally in Bhubaneswar and gherao the State Assembly with a five-point charter of demands on December 15. The core demands include inclusion of 90 per cent of the people of the State under Food Security Act, regularization of services of all the retailers, commission to retail sellers at `200 per quintal in rural areas and Rs 150 in urban areas, payment of shop rent, energy charges, and remuneration to the assistants of the shops.