THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Steps have been taken for the monthly disbursal of commission to ration dealers, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil has said. He was speaking to representatives of ration dealers’ association in the wake of the protest call made by the latter. The minister agreed to the dealers’ request that the order issued by the civil supplies commissioner for part payment of the commission for October will not be implemented.
The part payment was ordered in the wake of fund shortage. Rs 216 crore was allocated in the budget for distributing the commission. It did not include the commission for distributing goods under the PMGKAY programme.
The state government did not make a sufficient allocation in the budget because the Centre’s announcement on extending the scheme came only in August. The normal monthly requirement to pay commission to ration dealers is Rs 15 crore and it would go up to Rs 28 crore when PMGKAY commission is included. The commission for October will be distributed without delay.
CHANGE IN TIMING
Timing of ration shops has been rescheduled from November 25 to 30. Shops in Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Wayanad will function from 8 am to 1 pm on November 25, 28 and 30, and from 2 pm to 7 pm on November 26 and 29. Shops in Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Kottayam, Kasaragod and Idukki will function from 8 am to 1 pm on November 26 and 29, and from 2 pm to 7 pm on November 25, 28, 30.