Over 17,000 Fair Price Shops in Gujarat Shut Down After Indefinite Strike Call

Ahmedabad | Gujarat — Over 17,000 fair price shops across Gujarat have downed their shutters following the indefinite strike call given by the All Gujarat Fair Price Shop Association for their 20-point demands with the state government on Saturday. 

The distribution of affordable food grains throughout the state was stopped and the procedure for submitting government food grain quantity challans was discontinued starting from Saturday. 

Prahlad Modi, the brother of PM Modi, has urged shopkeepers to stay strong, declaring, ‘The movement continues, remain steadfast.’

The strike involving 700 traders in Rajkot will result in 300,000 cardholders being unable to receive their ration.  In Surat city, around 1100 government food grain shops are set to close their doors completely.  Over 670 dealers from the Mehsana district have come together to participate in the strike.  Over 750 ration shopkeepers from Bhavnagar city and the surrounding district have initiated a strike.  Ration shops in Ahmedabad and Vadodara have also been shut down.

Prahlad Modi, the younger brother of PM Narendra Modi and president of the All Gujarat Fair Price Shop Association, has announced that the movement among shopkeepers is still in full swing.  He claimed that the government and certain traders are disseminating misleading information suggesting that the movement has concluded in an effort to undermine it.

Prahlad Modi has made it clear that he has notified the secretary that shopkeepers are not required to undertake extra activities, a stance he has successfully upheld in a High Court ruling.  He has urged all shopkeepers to stay vigilant against such rumors and to remain committed to the movement.

The rationing shopkeepers urge the government to swiftly address and resolve the issue at hand, ensuring that neither the shopkeepers nor the cardholders face any further hardship.

For a year now, traders have been presenting their 20 demands to the government.

Food grain traders from various regions, including Rajkot, have initiated a strike starting today.  Over the past year, traders dealing in affordable food grains have put forth around 20 requests to the state government regarding various concerns. However, a strike has been declared starting from November 1,  due to the lack of response to these demands.  

Approximately 700 traders from the Rajkot city district have come together to participate in the strike. 

Mawjibhai Rakshiya, President of the Rajkot Fair Price of Food Association, stated that this is not an unexpected strike on our part.  After a year of presenting our demands to the government, we have made the decision to announce a strike today due to the lack of response to our requests.

Jitendra Nanda, President of the Fair Price Shop Association in Vadodara, expressed that after years of a gradual governmental approach, the ongoing exploitation faced by FPS operators—who play a crucial role in delivering essential government schemes during critical times like the deadly corona pandemic, floods, and other natural disasters—has reached an intolerable level. The persistent obstacles in providing adequate commissions only exacerbate the situation in this current era.  As the government’s actions become increasingly evident in their attempts to undermine FPS operators, it is crucial to stand against these unwarranted efforts that threaten our family and social lives. In response, numerous FPS operators from Vadodara city and district have united in support of the bandh. Should it become necessary to stage a hunger strike at a designated public location on Gandhi Chindhya Marg in Vadodara to safeguard our existence, we are prepared to take that step.

Approximately 1,100 government grain shops have completely shut down in Surat city.

Sellers of government grain in Gujarat have initiated an indefinite strike to address their long-standing demands. This action is having a noticeable effect in Surat city, where approximately 1100 government grain shops are now entirely shut down.  The ongoing strike has caused significant disruptions to the grain distribution system across the city, leaving thousands of vulnerable ration card holders struggling to access essential government grain benefits.