NIZAMABAD: State civil supplies department (CSD) is mulling over plans to allow Public Distribution System (PDS) ration shop dealers to upgrade their shops into ‘mini super markets’ or ‘mini malls’. Dealers have been pressing the department to green light the plan as they hope it will provide them additional income and also allow them to run the shops using, mostly, digital transactions.
Dealers in the state had recently gone on strike claiming that they were not getting good commission on rice, sugar, wheat and kerosene that they sell in their shops.
They called it off a few days later when finance minister Etela Rajender assured them that some of their demands would be considered by the State government. However their main demand, that of a monthly honorarium to enhance their income, was disregarded.
Speaking to Express, Nizamabad district supply officer(DSO) BNVK Prasad agreed that the proposals would allow ration dealers to improve their monthly income.
He added that it would also help introduce a lot more people to digital transactions. “Higher officials in the department are looking into these proposals. They will take a decision soon,” he said.
On digital payments
The civil supplies department had previously selected a few PDS shops in every district for digital transactions where consumers had to use their Aadhaar card numbers to purchase goods. Nizamabad district has a total of 751 shops and 3.76,576 ration card holders.