HYDERABAD: The State government on Tuesday agreed in principle to increase the Public Distribution System (PDS) dealers’ commission from Rs 70 to Rs 140 per quintal and to provide Rs 5 lakh health insurance coverage to them. This decision will benefit over 17,000 ration dealers across the State.
Finance Minister T Harish Rao and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalar held a meeting with the joint action committee of ration dealers, who recently went on strike, demanding the government to consider their demands.
After the meeting, the ration dealers said that the State government has agreed to all the 20 demands put forth by them. Ration dealers representative N Raju said that the government agreed to enhance the commission from September. He also said that the government agreed to immediately sanction Rs 10,000 assistance to family members in the event of a PDS dealer’s demise