Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Feb 3: Public Distribution System (PDS) shops in Jamshedpur along with others across the country will down shutters between February 7 and 9 (72 hours) on the call of All India Fair Price Dealers Association (AIFPDA) in protest against the central government’s policies and the pending demands of PDS dealers. The East Singhbhum unit of AIFPDA submitted a memorandum to the effect to the District Supply Officer (DSO). The AIFPDA’s district unit President Mohan Sao Paras, General Secretary Pramod Gupta and Treasurer Nagesh Jaiswal issued a joint press release on Friday, February 3 wherein they mentioned that the Prime Minister, the Union Food and Supplies Minister and senior officials of the union ministry had already been informed of the 72 hours PDS dealers’ 72 hours outlets’ closure between February 7 and 9. The press release mentioned that during the 72 hour protest programme, 5.34 lakh PDS outlet owners including members of women’s self help groups (SHG) would participate in the 72 hour nationwide strike. The district AIFPDA unit officials in the media release mentioned, “Our demand from national to state levels is pending since 2016 as the government has been turning its Nelson’s eyes on the matter. We had urged the central government on several occasions to take cognizance on our demand but it (the central government) continues to look the other way.”