Protest against One Nation One Ration Card plan from Dec 2

Kolkata: All India Fair Price Shop Dealers' Federation (AIFPSDF) is all set to launch nation-wide movement to protest against One Nation One Ration Card scheme in a phased manner from December 2.

"It has been decided in our meeting of the National Federation held at New Delhi on November 11, 2019 that movement in form of Dharna at Jantarmantar, New Delhi, will be undertaken in a phased manner by all our State Units from December 2 to 13.

Representatives from West Bengal will stage demonstration on December 2 followed by Andhra Pradesh on December 3 and so on," said Biswambhar Basu, general secretary of AIFPSDF.

According to the One Nation One Ration Card scheme, a ration cardholder will be able to buy subsidised food grains under the National Food Security Act, 2013 from any ration throughout the country.

However, in the proposed system, if he migrates from his locality to another town or state, he will be able buy food grains there too. Fourteen states have started this facility so far.

The One Nation One Ration Card scheme will be operational from June 1 next year.

"In pursuing our claim for 'Food for All in Public Distribution System (PDS) we filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in Calcutta High Court in 2016 but we did not continue as

Bengal Government has already introduced Rajya Khadya Saathi Prakalpa —a food for all scheme in PDS totally sponsored by the state which has been helpful for both the ration card holders as well as the fair price shop dealers," Basu said.

The other demands of the AIFPSDF are restoration of Kerosene quota and supply of pulses and edible oil at Rs 20 per kg less and iodised salt at Rs five per kg less than the prevailing market prices.

"It is our longstanding and persistent demand for Rs 250 per quintal as margins for rice, wheat and sugar with a minimum guaranteed income of Rs 30,000 per fair price shop dealer a month. Another big problem is Aadhar seeding of ration cards. The Centre is pressing hard for Aadhar seeding of cards though the Supreme Court has not imposed any compulsion on the ration dealers to undertake Aadhar seeding of cards tagged to their shops," Basu said.