Prahlad Modi, who is the president of Association of Fair Price Shopkeepers in Gujarat and also the elder brother of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday repeated his threat to close down fair price shops across the state over glitches in linking of Aadhaar with accounts of beneficiaries.
“The government must ensure that the linking of Aadhaar with the accounts of beneficiaries of fair price shops is done properly,” Prahlad Modi told mediapersons after his meeting with Gujarat Civil Supplies Minister Jayesh Radadia.
Prahlad Modi said there were glitches in the linkages and it led to altercation between the fair price shopkeepers and their customers at times. “It impacts our endeavour to follow Supreme Court guidelines of providing goods to people and we are forced to turn them back empty-handed at times. If the government does not ensure proper linkage, we would be forced to shut our shops and boycott work,” he added.
Prahlad Modi has raised several issues faced by fair price shopkeepers of the state in the past, even against his brother’s government at the Centre and the BJP government in the state. Last year, he had threatened a similar agitation demanding increase in commission of fair price shop owners.
The minister later stated that the government would work to tide over any technical glitches in the linking of Aadhaar with accounts of beneficiaries by March 31.