kolkata: The state Cabinet on Thursday decided to hand over a fixed commission of Rs 5000 per month to the ration dealers across the state, acknowledging the latter's support for the successful implementation of Duare Ration (Ration at Doorstep) initiative of the state government.
"The Duare Ration scheme, a brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that started from November 16 last year through which the state government is reaching out to the doorsteps of at least 9.25 crore beneficiaries. The exercise has been a reality with the support of the 21,000 ration dealers across the state. So apart from the existing Rs 75 per quintal foodgrains subsidy that we are offering, we have decided to provide a fixed commission of Rs 5000 per month,"Chandrima Bhattacharjee, state Finance minister told reporters after the meeting.
State Food and Supplies minister Rathin Ghosh said that the state government will also provide 0.02 per cent handling cost on the total transaction volume made by the ration dealers. "While delivering ration at doorstep, some amount of foodgrains is always wasted. So we have decided to compensate for the same by providing the handling charge to the ration dealers,"Ghosh added.
Biswambhar Basu of the Joint Forum of West Bengal Ration Dealers said that they will hold a meeting on Monday regarding the benefits extended by the state government and will submit their opinion before the Food department.
The ration dealers have divided all the beneficiaries under their jurisdiction into 16 clusters and have designated a fixed day of a week of each month for distribution of foodgrains at each cluster. Entire ration for one month period is being delivered to the beneficiary at one go.