Kerosene vendors threaten suicide if PDS shop licenses not issued within one month

Mail News Service

Seraikela, June 7: Kerosene oil cart vendors Mohammad Akhtar Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Abid Hussain submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding the issue of licenses for PDS shops mentioning therein that if the licenses were not provided within one month, they along with their families would commit suicide in front of the district Collectorate. They mentioned in the memorandum submitted to the East Singhbhum DC that they were working as kerosene cart vendors in Saraikela since 1986 as their sole means of livelihood to sustain themselves and their families. The three kerosene oil cart vendors stated that they were informed vide a government order in 2017 that kerosene oil supply to hawkers would be discontinued and in lieu PDS shop licenses would be issued to them in their names. Subsequently, availability of kerosene oil was stopped to hawkers as per the government order of 2017. Applications for licenses to run PDS shops were submitted. They alleged that after filing their applications, residential certificates were demanded by the department concerned which was contrary to the government rules.

 A suit was filed in the Jharkhand High Court regarding the demand for residential certificates from the applicants claiming that as per government norms thse were not required. Following the filing of the suit, a clear directive was given  on December 7, 2021 that the license of PDS shop should be issued in the name of the applicants without residential certificate. But the Jharkhand High Court directives were ignored and no licenses were issue to the applicants till date. When contacted, the District Supply Officer and the Regional Marketing Officer stated, “What was the necessity to knock at the door of the Jharkhand High Court?”

The three kerosene cart vendors, Md Akhtar Ali, Md Hasnain and Abid Hussain stated that they and their families were facing starvation. They have demanded the issue of PDF shop licenses within a month failing which they would be forced to take recourse by committing suicide along with their family members in front of the DC’s office.