NASHIK :
Followingi incidences of attacks on ration shop owners in tehsils of Baglan and Trimbakeshwar, Fair Price Shop Owners’ Association yesterday observed total bandh throughout the district by keeping ration shops closed for a day, yesterday.
Sangeeta Ahire, a fair price shopkeeper in Baglan taluka, was allegedly beaten up by the village head (sarpanch) for not giving him rice for free.
While during the distribution of free rice, the sarpanch had demanded free rice for himself from the woman shopkeeper who had turned down the demand as 20 per cent rice allotment was still to be done to the ration beneficiaries in the tehsil. Angry by denial, the village head had then allegedly beaten up the shopkeeper and stolen the ration items.
A memorandum given to the District Supply Officer said: Amid coronavirus lockdown, the ration shop keepers have been distributing food grains, putting their lives at risk. Hence, attacks on ration shopkeepers must be stopped immediately or an indefinite strike would have to be called across the state.”
Earlier, ration shopkeepers in Baglan taluka had stopped distribution of foodgrains in protest against the incident. Last month, a ration shopkeeper in Trimbakeshwar was also beaten up.
The memorandum further said that attacks on ration shopkeepers are increasing. The ration shopkeepers in the present situation are performing their duties faithfully, yet they are being manhandled. Ration shopkeepers distribute rations to hundreds of card holders every day.
As a result, they are also at increased risk of corona infection. Nevertheless no safety kits have so far been provided to ration shopkeepers by the government. There was also a demand for health check-up of ration shopkeepers. But that demand is also still unfulfilled. The shopkeepers are being unnecessarily slandered and attacked while working in this crisis by risking their lives, the statement said.
Against this backdrop, ration shopkeepers in the district on Wednesday had closed their shops and protested against the rising incidents.
In April, the rural police had registered a criminal case against a man for allegedly beating a ration shop-owner at Paigalwadi area in Trimbakehwar taluka of the district.
The alleged accused, Sunny Medhe, had a quarrel with Namdev Kisan Zole, the shop-owner, over distribution of foodgrains to the orange ration card holders. Angry over this, Medhe had thrashed Zole and also had vandalized the shop.
Against the rising attacks on ration shop owners a memorandum has been submitted to the district supply officer. The government should initiate action against the the assaulters, take steps to curb such unfortunate in future and ensure safety of the shopkeepers.
– Nivrutti Kapse, president, fair price shop owners’ association