Opposition Leader Demands Relief for Bihar’s PDS Dealers

On September 9, 2026, Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, sent a two-page letter to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary outlining eight demands from Public Distribution System (PDS) dealers. The letter, also posted on X with a copy dated September 4, cites “record-breaking inflation,” administrative hurdles, delayed commission payments and technical glitches as causes of a severe financial crisis for dealers who supply foodgrains to millions of poor families.

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Yadav asks the state government to:

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• Provide a fixed monthly honorarium of at least INR30,000, modeled on Gujarat’s scheme.

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• Remove the time limit on compassionate-ground appointments, as practiced in Jharkhand.

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• Clear pending commission payments that have been delayed for six months to a year.

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• Increase the dealer commission by INR47, a rise announced before the last Assembly election but not yet implemented.

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• Take strict action against alleged corruption, under-weighing and irregularities at Bihar State Food Corporation warehouses.

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• Resolve technical issues with weighing equipment, e-PoS machines and servers in real time.

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• Establish an effective grievance redressal mechanism at district and block levels.

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• Convene regular tripartite meetings with departmental officials and the Fair Price Dealers Association.

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Yadav frames the dealers’ plight as a consequence of “organised corruption” and governmental indifference. He urges the administration to act “with sensitivity and transparency” and to institute “prompt, positive, and time-bound decisions” on the eight-point agenda.

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• “Commission payments pending for periods ranging from six months to a year must be cleared immediately as the delay in these payments has plunged thousands of PDS vendors and their families into a severe financial crisis.” — Jharkhand. Mr. Yadav, national general secretary

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• “It is requested that an immediate, positive, and time-bound decision be taken regarding the demands of the PDS vendors. I am confident that the Government of Bihar will consider the legitimate demands of the PDS vendors with sensitivity and seriousness, and take concrete steps towards a speedy resolution,” — Mr. Yadav, national general secretary

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• “I have written a letter to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary highlighting the demands of PDS dealers who are distressed due to organised corruption, record inflation and the government's indifference. The government should immediately pay heed to their demands with sensitivity and transparency to streamline the entire system,” — Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav, national general secretary

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• “Unnecessary administrative harassment and punitive actions related to the PDS mechanism should cease, and an effective grievance redressal mechanism should be instituted at the district and block levels to resolve genuine dealer grievances,” — Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav, national general secretary

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• “I urge that prompt, positive, and time-bound decisions be taken on these eight-point demands. I hope that the Bihar government will consider the legitimate demands of PDS dealers with sensitivity and seriousness,” — Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav, national general secretary

Hindustan Times

If implemented, the proposed honorarium and grievance mechanisms could stabilize dealer incomes and improve the reliability of foodgrain distribution to vulnerable households. Conversely, failure to address the listed grievances may perpetuate delays, under-weighing of supplies and continued financial distress among the network of PDS dealers across Bihar.

The Hindu