Telangana’s ration dealers to protest by closing shops from October 1

Telangana’s fair price shop owners threaten to close 17,000 outlets from October 1, demanding Rs 100 crore in pending commissions and gunny bag payments. Financial struggles, including unpaid rents and loans, have pushed dealers to warn of a statewide shutdown

Hyderabad: Fair price shop owners across Telangana have threatened to shut their outlets from October 1 if the government fails to clear commission dues pending for several months.

The Telangana State Ration Dealers Welfare Association has submitted a representation to the Civil Supplies Commissioner, seeking immediate clearance of dues. There are about 17,000 fair price shops in the state.

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According to the Association, commissions payable by the Central government from April to August 2025 remain unsettled, while the September commission is due from the state government along with its matching grant to the Central share.

The dealers are also demanding clearance of payments for gunny bags. The total outstanding is estimated at Rs 100 crore.

With most dealers operating from rented premises, they said they were unable to manage rents, salaries of helpers, and wages of hamalis. Many have borrowed from private moneylenders at high interest rates and are struggling to repay, leading to harassment from lenders.

The Association pointed out that repeated representations to the Civil Supplies Corporation over the past few months had not resolved the crisis. It warned that unless dues are cleared immediately, all ration shops in the state would remain closed from October 1.