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Ludhiana: 2 months on, ration depot holders yet to get commission
Ration depot holders said the prolonged delay has caused severe hardship, as many rely entirely on this income to run their households; they further noted that the payments, initially expected in the first week of July, are still pending, with no clarity on when the dues will be cleared
Ration depot holders in Ludhiana district, especially widows, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, are facing financial strain after the district food and civil supplies department has struggled to release their commission for free wheat distribution for the April–June quarter, even after two months past the due date.
Ration depot holders said the prolonged delay has caused severe hardship, as many rely entirely on this income to run their households. They further noted that the payments, initially expected in the first week of July, are still pending, with no clarity on when the dues will be cleared.
In addition, depot holders said that even as the July–September wheat distribution nears completion, commissions from previous quarters remain unpaid, forcing them to scramble for basic necessities, including rent, electricity bills and groceries.
Highlighting her plight, Paramjit Kaur, a handicapped widow running a depot in Doraha, said, “I largely rely on this commission to meet my household expenses. Without it, I struggle to buy even basic groceries and pay my bills. Additionally, with the festive season around the corner, the burden has only grown heavier, dampening what should have been a time of joy and celebration. Instead of preparing for festivities, I am constantly worried about how to make ends meet.”
Amrita Devi, a handicapped depot holder, said, “I have no other source of income. Two months without the payment has left me borrowing money just to manage the expense. Despite delivering our services faithfully and ensuring that beneficiaries receive their wheat on time, we are left struggling to meet basic needs.”
Meanwhile, earlier in August, the department attributed the delay to the introduction of a new central government payment module, ‘Sparsh’. Officials said the module requires updated details of ration depot holders, including email IDs and bank account information. They also admitted that unfamiliarity with the new system, along with technical glitches, has contributed to the continued hold-up.
However, despite repeated assurances from the officials that the pending payments would be cleared within a week or two since then, depot holders continue to wait, with no concrete timeline in sight.
A senior official seeking anonymity said, “Since the introduction of the new payment module, we have generated the bills meant to clear these payments twice. Previously, after clearance from the respective food inspectors and district-level account officers, payments used to be processed within a week by the authorities in Chandigarh. However, with the addition of multiple checkpoints in the bill clearance process, even a minor error now delays payments for all depot holders in the district.”
Karamjit Singh Arechha, national assistant secretary and state president of the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation, said, “This is the first time we are facing such prolonged delays. We continue to implement all initiatives of the public distribution system at the grassroots level, including the ongoing eKYC drive, despite facing these challenges. However, if the pending payments are not released within the next two or three days, we will have no option but to suspend our services to press for our demands.”
Sartaaj Singh Cheema, district food supplies controller (Ludhiana West), said, “We have received the sanctions to disburse these payments, and the recent bills sent to the higher authorities on September 14. Once we receive their approval, the payments will be credited to the depot holders within a week.”
