Hyderabad: Demanding the state government to withdraw its decision of abolition of ration shops in the state, CPI state party asked the TRS government to strengthen the Public Distribution System (PDS) on the line of Kerala state.
In a note, CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy said that it was not correct on the part of state government to abolish ration shops alleging that the ration shop dealers were taking up strikes time and again. The poor will be affected severely if lifted ration shops permanently, he said and alleged that the people were not getting sugar and kerosene due to the negligent attitude of the Central government.
It was atrocious on the part of the TRS government as it was following the footsteps of the central government, he pointed out. He explained that the Kerala Left government was distributing 13 essential goods to the people through PDS at low prices perfectly. The TRS government was always stating that it was implementing Communists agenda, he reminded and said that Finance and Civil Supplies Minister Etela Rajender was also studied the PDS implementing in Kerala state.
The Telangana state government announced that it would supply at least nine goods to the people at a low price but it stopped after few months implementation. It was a sheer injustice, he said and alleged that it was not correct on the part of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to direct the officials to study on giving cash directly to the beneficiaries as 45 percent people only benefitting through the present PDS.
Suggesting the state government to divide the PDS beneficiaries as two categories similarly Kerala state government where that was categorized as below poverty line and above poverty line beneficiaries. Kerala government was supplying goods to the BPS people at the low price giving subsidy and supplying goods to above poverty line at lesser than market price by purchasing the goods from wholesale businessmen. He demanded the state government to call for an all-party meeting and asked the government to initiate stringent action to control illegal transport of PDS rice using vigilance and police forces. He urged the state government to solve the problems of the ration dealers and distribute nine essential goods to the poor. (NSS)