Ration dealers say no to direct benefit to consumers
Hyderabad : Ration dealers, who play a crucial role in the Public Distribution System (PDS) from the State, are up in arms against the Shanta Kumar Committee recommendations to extend Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme to ration card holders in the country. The ration dealers are strongly opposing the recommendation as they think that it would deprive them of their only source of livelihood.
According to ration dealers of Telangana, the extension of DBT Scheme to ration card holders will stop them from coming to ration shops, as they will get the choice of exercising their discretion over purchase of essential commodities like rice, sugar, pulses and kerosene. The recommendation will bring over six lakh ration dealers, including 20,000 dealers from Telangana State on to the roads. “After the direct transfer of the subsidy amount, no ration card holder will visit ration shops.