Team News Riveting
Bhopal, July 28
Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to convert the state-run fair price shops into multipurpose outlets.
Along with the distribution of food grains from the government fair price shops through the Public Distribution System, other food items and services will also be made available to the consumers by the seller. Instructions have been issued by the Cooperatives and Food Department regarding the operation of government shops under the new system.
In the instructions, the vendors of government fair price shops have been asked to make arrangements for selling the items of daily use from the shops. It is expected in the instructions that with the new system, the government fair price shops operating under the public distribution system will become attractive, self-supporting and profitable.
In relation to making the government fair price shops multi-purpose, it will be the personal responsibility of the vendor / manager of the concerned fair price shop to obtain the necessary licenses for commercial activities such as PAN number, TIN number, GST and Gumashta registration etc. For the quality of the commodity, the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 will have to be followed.
The goods that are distributed in the Public Distribution System will not be kept at the Multi Purpose Consumer Service Centre. The goods will have to be sold at the same rate which is fixed between the supplier company and the seller.
Under the Public Distribution System, the eligible families will not be compelled to buy other items from fair price shops along with distribution of ration material. The beneficiary will have the freedom to purchase other material voluntarily. There will be a contract for the operation of the centre between the seller and the PACS for the first 2 years, which can be extended further with the consent of both the parties. If the seller wants to stop the operation of the centre during the contract period, he can stop it by giving 03 months advance notice to the PACS.
A three-tier committee (SDM/Deputy Collector, Food Department officer and Cooperative Department officer) will be constituted by the District Collector on complaints of irregularities and disputes in the operation of fair price shops.
