Fair Price Shops to Operate Monthly from 1st to 15th: Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan clarified that, starting from June 1, the coalition government's objective is to deliver essential commodities to poor families exclusively through ration shops. He stated that these fair price shops will remain accessible to the public every month from the 1st to the 15th, operating in two daily shifts—from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and again from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Pawan Kalyan criticized the previous administration for shutting down ration shops that were meant to serve the poor. “They claimed to deliver goods door-to-door and spent ₹1,600 crore on purchasing vehicles. However, instead of delivering to homes, the vehicles were stationed at major junctions for just one or two days each month, causing significant hardship for many poor families,” he said. He added that daily wage workers often had to forgo their income or take leave just to wait for the unpredictable arrival of these ration vehicles.
Pawan Kalyan further disclosed that the coalition government under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu conducted a thorough investigation into the illegal diversion of leftover ration rice and other commodities. As part of this probe, several thousand tonnes of smuggled rice were seized at the Kakinada and Visakhapatnam ports.
He emphasized that, to curb such malpractices, the government resolved to revert to the distribution of essential goods through fair price shops. As part of this new policy, the government has also introduced home delivery of ration supplies for people with disabilities and elderly individuals above 65 years of age.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, Pawan Kalyan stated that the primary aim is to ensure timely and proper delivery of essential commodities to the poor.