Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil on Wednesday reiterated his appeal to ration traders to withdraw their proposed strike set to begin on January 27.
He cautioned that the indefinite agitation would severely disrupt ration supply to the public and have far-reaching consequences for the State’s public distribution system.
Concerns acknowledged
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Anil acknowledged the concerns raised by the ration traders, including grievances regarding the Union government’s policies and outstanding commission dues. While the State government supported some of the demands, particularly the opposition to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme and the Union government’s neglect of the State, he said the government was currently unable to meet all the demands due to the financial challenges.
“The indefinite strike will not only disrupt the food supply chain, but also give strength to reactionary policies, such as the DBT scheme, which we strongly oppose,” he said. He reiterated that Kerala’s robust public distribution system, which supported several lakhs of people, could not be replaced by cash transfers, especially in a food-deficit State like Kerala.
Highest commission in country
He said the State government currently spent nearly ₹33.5 crore a month to pay commissions to the ration traders for distributing around 11.54 lakh quintals of foodgrain. He highlighted that the commission paid to the traders was among the highest in the country at ₹300 a quintal, significantly more than the Union government’s allocation of ₹107 a quintal.
While the government remained open to further discussions, Mr. Anil asserted that it would not tolerate any move that undermined its public food distribution system.
