Four unfair price shops shut down in city

HYDERABAD: Four fair price shops (FPSs) have been shut down by the Vigilance and Enforcement wing in the last month as shop owners were misappropriating ration meant for public distribution and funnelling them into private markets for higher prices. Six more shops might be sealed by end of June, according to district supply officer P Vijay Kumar Reddy.Sealed shops include shop number 164 in Malakpet, 344 in Charminar and  515, 518 in Nampally. Incidentally, about 156 fair price shops in city have been shut down in the last four years. In December 2010, the Vigilance and Enforcement Wing found 15 FPS dealers were misappropriating public distribution system commodities every month.Deputy tahasildar P Nityanada said, “In the city, there are 975 ration shops but only 815 are functioning presently. 17 are under suspension and 138 sealed due to cancellation of licences. A few shops closed down due to death of shop owners while others withdrew their ownership.”The wing also found a number of fair price shops being run by unauthorised persons. Dealers had entrusted the shops to others in return for a fixed sum every month. Other irregularities like dealers collecting higher prices than rates fixed by the government and not maintaining registers, were also found during checks. Other irregularities include dealers showing incorrect accounts between the stock register and ground balance of the goods. The FPSs issues rice, wheat, sugar, palm-oil, red grams and kerosene, with people below poverty line getting 10 kg rice  free.