Kurnool: Fair price shop dealers seek renewal of licence

Kurnool: District president of Andhra Pradesh Fair Shops Welfare Association, V Prameela Reddy, has said that the dealers across the State are facing huge problems due to non-renewal of licence of dealer shops. With regard to authorisation renewal, the association members have met the District Civil Supplies Officer (DSO) and gave a representation.

Speaking to The Hans India on Tuesday, Prameela Reddy has said that the authorisation of shops renewal was kept pending for two years. She said they were paying challans for the renewal of authorisation but the government has kept it pending. If the dealer authorisation was not renewed then the identity of the dealer would be in peril. She urged the government to look into the issue and sort it out at the earliest possibility.

She further said that during pandemic situation, the dealers have distributed the essential commodities twice in a month. In all, the dealers distributed essentials 16 times during the pandemic. The government has paid amount to only 8 installments and payment for another 8 installments is pending.

Prameela Reddy also pointed out that the government has announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to the family of a deceased fair price shop dealer. However, The family of the dealer, a resident of Budwara Peta in Kurnool town, who succumbed to Covid-19, is yet to receive any ex gratia from the government.

She said almost all dealers across the district were facing huge problems. She urged the government to instruct the authorities concerned to immediately renew the dealer's authorisation without further delay.

The members of district dealers association have met the new DSO, Mohan Rao, and briefed him about the problems being faced by the dealers. A representation was also handed over to him to take the issue to the notice of the government.

Association general secretary Subhan Basha and others also met the DSO.