Thu Nov 07 15:41:21 UTC 2024: ## Fair Price Shop Employees Protest in Madurai, Demand Supply Regulation and Administrative Reform
**Madurai, November 7, 2024** – Members of the Tamil Nadu Fair Price Employees’ Welfare Association staged a protest in Madurai on Thursday, demanding better regulation of commodity supplies to Public Distribution System (PDS) outlets and administrative reforms.
The protesters, led by association honorary president K. Balasubramanian, claimed that essential commodities like rice and sugar supplied from Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation warehouses often do not meet demand. They allege that officials assume monthly sales will remain constant, leading to shortages when demand increases. This forces employees to turn away customers, causing inconvenience and frustration.
Balasubramanian suggested implementing a system where food items are sold in packets, similar to the models in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, to ensure efficient distribution and eliminate shortages.
Another key demand of the protesters was the proper maintenance of Provident Fund (PF) accounts for over 25,000 PDS employees. They argued that the shared management of PDS by various departments like Revenue, Civil Supplies Corporation, Cooperation, and Labour leads to administrative confusion and hinders effective PF management.
The association urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to fulfill his promise to consolidate the administration of PDS shops under a single department, streamlining operations and addressing the grievances of employees.
First Piper 