Giridih, September 1, 2026: Public Distribution System (PDS) dealers in Jharkhand have submitted an eight-point memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner, seeking payment of long-pending dealer margins and resolution of several operational issues.
The dealers, who represent around 25,000 PDS vendors across the state, warned that if their demands are not addressed by September 30, 2026, they will stage a statewide sit-in outside Raj Bhavan from October 1.
They have also warned of taking a stronger stand, including the possibility of refusing distribution under the slogan “No commission, no distribution”, if the government fails to resolve the pending payment issue.
Dealers seek payment of all pending margins
The primary demand is payment of all outstanding dealer margins under various schemes, including NFSA, PMGKAY, Green Card, gram-dal and salt.
The dealers have demanded that all pending amounts be cleared within 30 days. They have also sought payment of the dealer margin along with allocation under Section 16 of the NFSA Act, as mentioned in their memorandum.
The dealers said prolonged delays in commission payments have severely affected their financial condition, with some reportedly struggling to meet household expenses.
They claimed that partial commission payments for around 13 months of NFSA distribution during the COVID-19 period, nearly two years of Green Card commission, and commission for gram-dal and salt remain pending.
Demand for ₹50,000 monthly income and higher commission
The dealers have demanded a minimum monthly income of ₹50,000, citing expenses such as shop rent, assistant wages, electricity bills, maintenance and household costs.
To achieve this, they have sought an increase in the existing commission to ₹300 per quintal.
They have also demanded that the foodgrain allocated for a particular month be supplied before the beginning of that month. If that is not possible, they want at least 30 days to distribute the foodgrain after receiving it.
The memorandum also calls for measures to ensure that there are no discrepancies in the quality or weight of foodgrain supplied.
Dealers raise concerns over server problems
The PDS dealers have sought improvements in the NIC online system, claiming that recurring server problems disrupt ration distribution and force beneficiaries to make repeated visits to ration shops.
They have demanded a dedicated grievance cell to address NIC-related technical problems quickly.
The dealers have also sought an immediate order for operating the online system in a paperless manner in accordance with a Government of India communication mentioned in the memorandum.
Alleged illegal collection for repairs
The dealers have also raised complaints regarding e-PoS machines and electronic weighing scales.
They alleged that e-PoS operators and engineers responsible for weighing equipment sometimes demand money in the name of repairs. The dealers have sought an end to such alleged collections and demanded that the department arrange repairs of e-PoS machines and electronic scales through its own system.
Demands linked to food and welfare schemes
The dealers have sought monthly implementation of the state government’s gram-dal scheme and implementation of the announced schemes involving soybean and mustard oil.
They also referred to an announcement made before the election regarding the provision of seven kilograms of foodgrain per person, and demanded that it be implemented without further delay.
The dealers have further sought inclusion of their families in the government’s Abua Health Medical Scheme, saying their families should receive adequate social security benefits given their long association with the ration distribution system.
Statewide protest threatened from October 1
The dealers have set September 30, 2026 as the deadline for the government to take a positive decision on their demands.
If no satisfactory decision is taken by then, they said they will begin a statewide sit-in outside Raj Bhavan from October 1, 2026.
They have appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene personally, clear the pending payments and address their other demands. The dealers said they are awaiting action from the government to resolve what they described as their financial and operational difficulties.
