CHENNAI: State Cooperative, Food Supply and Consumer Protection department on Friday advised the Fair Price Shop employees not to force the senior citizens, who are above 80 years of age to visit the shops to avail their commodities under PDS, following the DT Next's report on Thursday, June 13.
According to the officials, an oral instruction has been given to the employees of all 35,169 Fair Price Shops across the state not to force the senior citizens in the coming days to visit the shops in person and follow the same proxy procedure to deliver the ration items.
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The officials further issued a warning to the ration shop employees that action will be taken against the employees who violate the order.
The department also informed that the senior citizens can also raise the issue (if any) with the higher officials if they found any violation in this regard.
Welcoming the move, R Rajagopalan from Nanganallur said, it is welcome that the government has accepted our request and has again announced that we can continue to avail ration items through a proxy system.
"We have appealed through DT Next to reconsider the order which made it mandatory to go in person to avail ration items. It is welcome that the government has accepted our request and re-enforced the proxy system, " he said, adding that the government should intervene and issue a formal order to all the ration shop employees as the shop staff are likely to harass us in vain saying that they have not received the oral instructions.
Earlier, the department had issued an order to all Fair Price Shop employees that no one should provide essential commodities through proxy and advised that all those who come to get ration items should provide their ration card and must register their fingerprints or irises in the biometric PoS devices.
Exuding displeasure towards the new method, senior citizens urged the state government to re-enforce the proxy procedure, considering the age and health of them.