By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, March 9: The All Assam Fair Price Dealers’ Association (AAFPDA) today stage dhar at Dispur Last Gate demanding restoration of the PDS system in the state.
AAFPDA secretary Hemanta Kumar Deka said: “With the Centre ecting the tiol Food Security Act, 2013, an uncertainty has been haunting the fair price dealers of the state. If the Act is implemented in Assam the families of as many as 36,126 fair price shops in the state won’t be able to get their ends meet. The PDS system has been in Assam since 1956 and under this system the fair price shops have been providing essential commodities under schemes like AAY, BPL and APL. Besides food commodities, we are also giving consumers kerosene at fair price.”
“The Centre is going to spend RS 1,24,72,400 crore for the implementation of the Food Security Act that will cover two-thirds of the total population of the country. While making the Act, the government did not think the would-be plight of the fair price dealers and their families. The Act has not covered our plight. If the Act is implemented in Assam, the poor people will be badly affected as the Centre will withdraw its subsidies on food items and kerosene. The supply of PDS sugar has been stopped in Assam since long back,” Deka said, and added: “We have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister requesting him to restore the PDS system in the State.”
Meanwhile, the Kamrup (Metro) district committee of the KMSS also staged dhar at Dispur Last Gate today demanding a special land Act for the landless people of Guwahati.