VIJAYAWADA: Ration shops across the state will remain closed on Monday in protest against the “indifferent attitude” of the officials towards ration dealers, said Andhra Pradesh Ration Dealers Association president M Venkata Rao. Speaking to the media here on Saturday, Venkata Rao said that there are about 29,300 ration dealers in the state, one for each fair price shop.
In January, the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy flagged off as many as 9,260 mobile dispensing units (door delivery vehicles) to supply the ration, including quality rice, at the doorstep of card-holders in the State. At present, the majority of those possessing the MDUs are not supplying the ration to the beneficiaries, Rao alleged.
With this, the ration dealers are being pressured by the civil supplies department officials to supply the essential commodities at the beneficiaries’ doorstep through the MDUs. “We demand that the Chief Minister order a vigilance probe into the irregularities in the implementation of door delivery. The other demands include recognising the ration dealers as frontline warriors and administering Covid vaccine and providing insurance facility for them,” Rao said.