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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Administrative delay in payment disbursement hits ration vendors
Ration depot holders in Ludhiana are facing financial distress due to a prolonged delay in receiving their commission for the April–June wheat distribution quarter. The payment, usually credited within 10 to 15 days after a quarter ends, has not been released since June. With the free wheat distribution for the July–September quarter already underway, depot holders say they are being forced to bear operational costs from their own pockets. (HT Photo) With the free wheat distribution for the July–September quarter already underway, depot holders say they are being forced to bear operational costs from their own pockets. Echoing his concern, Gagandeep Singh, a local depot holder, said, 'We usually get our commission soon after the distribution ends. This payment helps cover unloading charges, labour, stationery, and electricity bills for the next distribution. But the department has not cleared our previous dues, leaving us to spend from our own pockets for the ongoing distribution.' Karamjit Singh Arechha, national assistant secretary and state president of the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation, called the situation unprecedented. 'We are asking for our own hard-earned money. The commission of ₹90 per quintal is already inadequate. On top of that, over two lakh beneficiaries in the district have been removed from the list for not completing eKYC, cutting into our already thin earnings,' he said. For some, the delay is hitting harder. Manpreet Kaur, a widowed depot holder from Doraha, said, 'The commission is my household's only income. This is the festival season, and the delay has made it difficult for us to sustain.' Meanwhile, officials from the district food and civil supplies department have attributed the delay to the introduction of a new central government payment module, 'Sparsh'. This requires uploading updated data of ration depot holders, including their email IDs and bank details. Since we are not well-versed with the intricacies of this new module and it has been plagued with glitches, the process has been delayed. We will be submitting the bills for this quarter through 'Sparsh' to the state treasury department next week, which should facilitate the payments. Only after that will the situation regarding pending payments become clearer. District food supplies controller (Ludhiana West) Sartaaj Singh Cheema said, 'We have raised the issue with higher authorities and are making efforts to clear the payments at the earliest.'
Hindustan Times
31-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Fair price shop dealers seek commission hike
Days after the Central government tweaked changes for the public distribution system for the inclusion of new ration cards under 'One Nation One Ration Card Scheme' on July 22, fair price shop dealers often dubbed as ration depot holders in Ludhiana have raised concerns over their existing commission rates. According to a Central government list of remuneration provided to fair price shop dealers, Mizoram gets the highest commission worth ₹ 285. (HT Photo) Notably, the ration depot holders are demanding an increase in commission from the current ₹90 per quintal to ₹200, aligning it with the rates offered in neighbouring states citing rising operational costs and inadequate compensation. They further pointed out that if the Central government is aiming for a unified structure and set of rules for the public distribution system (PDS) under the scheme, then fair price shop dealers across all states should be treated equally. 'If we are expected to follow the same guidelines and ensure smooth and timely distribution of ration, why there is such disparity in our commission rates, they said. According to a Central government list of remuneration provided to fair price shop dealers, Mizoram gets the highest commission worth ₹285, followed by Kerala that is ₹271.73 and ₹200 in neighbouring states such as Delhi and Haryana. Additionally, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan also get commissions worth ₹180 and 129.7 respectively. Roshan Lal, a local fair price shop dealer noted, 'In August 2024, the state government revised our commission from ₹50 to ₹90 per quintal. But even this increase is insufficient to cover the escalating expenses. In urban areas, monthly rent for a depot averages around ₹3,000. Add to this, the electricity cost at ₹10 per unit, wages for labourers who unload and store wheat bags, and handle losses, we are left with no margin.' Karamjit Singh Arechha, national assistant secretary and Punjab president of the All-India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation, backed the demand, highlighting regional disparities. 'Punjab depot holders receive the lowest commission compared to neighbouring states. In Haryana, it was increased from ₹150 to ₹200 per quintal in October 2023. Delhi implemented a ₹70 to ₹200 slab in February 2018. Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir also provide ₹180 per quintal, then why we are being left to fend in such a low commission when we are delivering the same services. When contacted, Rahul Tiwari, principal secretary, Punjab food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department said,' The demand for the commission hike has not been brought to my notice yet. If they formally submit their demands, I will send to the appropriate body as we need ministerial approval for any steep hike.'
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: 15K e-Shram card holders in city miss out on free ration
Even as the Supreme Court mandated the inclusion of e-Shram card holders in the Public Distribution System (PDS) and directed states to issue ration cards to them for free ration, nearly 15,000 such workers in Ludhiana district remain excluded from the ongoing quarterly wheat distribution. According to officials of the food supply department, these beneficiaries had completed their e-KYC and were verified to receive 15 kg of wheat per person for three months, to be distributed in May. To meet the anticipated demand, the department had also procured an additional 2,250.3 quintals of wheat during the recent procurement season. However, when ration distribution began on May 16 across the district, the names of these beneficiaries were missing from the updated beneficiary list in the e-Point of Sale (e-PoS) machines managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). As a result, despite being verified and having received ration cards, these workers were turned away from fair price shops. This gap persists despite a Supreme Court order issued on October 3, 2023, that directed states and Union Territories to integrate nearly 8 crore migrant and unorganised workers registered on the e-Shram portal into the food security net across the country. The apex court had then instructed states to issue ration cards and ensure their e-KYC is completed simultaneously, as reiterated in the Union government's affidavit filed on February 12, 2024. Officials from the food supply department in Ludhiana confirmed that the data of registered e-Shram workers was shared with the food department in May 2024. After this, area-wise surveys were conducted using Aadhaar and UAN details, with the assistance of ration depot holders, to complete the e-KYC of these workers. 'Despite these directives, ration cards issued after the last quarterly cycle are yet to be reflected in the NIC's e-PoS system,' they added. Depot holders are also bearing the brunt of the confusion.'These e-Shram card holders were supposed to get wheat this season. However, their names are still not visible on the e-PoS machines. In the past five days, I have turned away 47 such beneficiaries despite their e-KYC being completed,' said Karamjit Singh Arechha, national assistant secretary and state president of the All-India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation. Acknowledging the issue, Sartaj Singh Cheema, district food supplies controller (Ludhiana West) stated, 'This is a statewide issue. The NIC has uploaded the data from the last quarter, which excludes recently verified e-Shram beneficiaries. We have already procured the extra wheat and issued ration cards to these individuals. The matter has been escalated to higher authorities. The moment data is updated; they will get their due.'
