Commission pending for six months despite completed distribution
Nearly six months after distributing free wheat under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), around 100 ration depot holders in Jalandhar are still awaiting their commission for the January-March quarter. The delay persists despite repeated representations to the authorities, according to depot holder associations.
Under the NFSA, each beneficiary in Punjab receives 15 kg of wheat every quarter. Ration depot holders are paid a commission of Rs 90 per quintal for distributing the foodgrain. According to depot holders, commissions were earlier released within 10 days of the completion of quarterly wheat distribution. However, payment for the January-March quarter remains pending even though distribution for the April-June quarter has already been completed.
Depot holders raise concerns over unpaid dues
Anup Sarin, president of the Jalandhar Depot Holders Association, said nearly 100 of the city’s 311 ration depot holders had not received their dues. “We have repeatedly taken up the matter with the department, but no one has given us a clear timeline for the release of the pending commission,” he said.
Darshan Lal Bhasin, president of the Jalandhar Ration Depot Holder Welfare Society, said a section of depot holders received their commission on March 31, while the remaining beneficiaries were still waiting for payment. “Whenever we approach officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, we are told that the payment will be released by Monday or Friday. These assurances have continued for the past three months, but the payment has still not been made,” he said.
Financial burden mounts as dues accumulate
Bhasin added that while the commission for the January-March quarter remained unpaid, dues for subsequent months had also begun to accumulate, increasing the financial burden on depot holders. The delay has forced many to operate without expected income, impacting their ability to sustain the distribution network.
Officials of the District Food and Civil Supplies Department attributed the delay to the implementation of the SNA-SPARSH (Single Nodal Agency–System for Payments, Accounting, Reconciliation and Settlement of Funds) model, introduced by the Central Government in April last year. The system replaced the earlier fund-release mechanism for centrally sponsored schemes. They said payments were now made from a fixed allocation received from the state treasury.
Funds shortage blamed for delay
District Food Supplies Controller Narinder Singh said the commission could not be released earlier because of a shortage of funds. “Fresh funds have now been received, and the pending commission will be credited within a day or two,” he said. Depot holders remain cautious, given past assurances that did not materialize.
