The three-member committee appointed by the government to study various issues of ration shops has recommended the closure of 3872 shops facing crisis out of the 13,872 existing ration shops in the state. Ration shopkeepers have been protesting and striking for some time now, raising demands including wage revision. The main complaint of the shopkeepers is that shops with fewer cards are not getting enough money to survive. To overcome this crisis, the expert committee recommends that the number of ration shops be reduced and the shops be reorganized so that more people can reach them. It is estimated that there are 85 shops among the existing ration shops that distribute less than 15 quintals of grain. These are mostly in the southern districts. The recommendation also includes restricting the granting of new shops as there are many shops that are operating unprofitably.

Ration shops can be made more profitable by providing facilities to sell K-store products in addition to ration items in all ration shops with convenient space, allowing ration shops converted into K-stores to operate around the clock, and providing loans at low interest rates to ration shops converted into K-stores. This will be of great help to the people. The expert committee has found that no shopkeeper will suffer if all ration shops are reorganized to have 800 cards. 3872 shops will have to be closed when this is implemented. It is not clear how much the ration shop owners and their organizations are in favour of such a proposal. Therefore, care must be taken not to invite a new strike with the new proposal.

Increasing the distribution price of sugar, kerosene etc. will increase the income of the shopkeepers. Their distribution is limited at present. Ration sugar is not provided to high-income earners through ration shops. Since kerosene is an indispensable commodity, for a long time there has been a demand for it to be made available to all cardholders at least in small quantities. However, even if kerosene is not purchased during the quota period and is lost, the state food department is not taking steps to procure and distribute it.

Since ration shops have become an integral part of the life of the people of the state, any reform introduced there should be implemented only after proper consideration.

Nowadays, better systems have been put in place to prevent irregularities in ration shops. In the past, the losses in running the shops were eliminated by the income earned through minor irregularities in collusion with civil supplies officials. Today, the situation has changed. There are arrangements to check everything and find mistakes. Therefore, profit and loss can be determined only based on the ration products sold. The shop owner will get only a meagre income if the shop rent, employee wages, and various types of collections are deducted. Many people continue to do business only because they find it difficult to make ends meet. Ration shopkeepers are carrying out a huge social welfare work that feeds the common people and the poor. Therefore, only beneficial measures should be taken by the government for them.