NEW DELHI: Accusing the United Progressive Alliance Government of following policies that are destroying the age-old public distribution system in the country and ignoring their plight, fair price shop owners on Thursday threatened to go on indefinite strike if their problems are not addressed.

Talking to media persons here, the senior vice-president of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers' Federation, Srikant Labh, said that by allowing uncontrolled procurement of wheat by private players from the domestic market the Government had created an embarrassing situation where it had to import wheat despite no shortfall in production. "The big private players, managed to buy the entire buffer stock in the country creating an artificial crisis," said Mr. Labh.

As a result, the wheat procurement by the Food Corporation of India was low and the supplies to the fair price shops were badly affected.

Mr. Labh also alleged that the Government had created an imbalance in wheat procurement all over the country by creating distinctions between rice eating and wheat eating States. "The eating habits have changed over a period of time and there are `rice-eating' States where the demand for wheat is actually high," he argued.

Mr. Labh said more than five lakhs fair price shop owners were on the brink.The Federation will initiate a nationwide agitation beginning at the grassroots level to draw the Government's attention to their plight.

A rally will also be organised at Ramlila Grounds here on August 28. "We will go on indefinite strike if our demands are not met," said Mr. Labh.

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