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| India 'ration' shops go on strike |
| Dealers of government-licensed "fair price shops" have begun an indefinite strike in India's West Bengal state in protest against attacks on them.
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| INDIA
, 23-October-2007
3:12:38 AM |
| More than 50 dealers have been attacked by mobs complaining of corrupt practices. One dealer took his life.
Others have been forced to pay up for allegedly selling subsidised grains meant for the poor in the black market.
The outlets, commonly known as ration shops, are licensed by the state to sell subsidised grain to India's poor.
Tens of thousands of ration shop dealers downed their shutters on Monday in protest against the attacks.
"We will continue the strike until we are satisfied our people are safe. We cannot do business in the present kind of atmosphere," said Mukshed Ali, vice-president of the West Bengal Ration Dealers Association.
Nearly 5,000 dealers - out of a total of some 20,370 dealers - have also given their licenses back as part of the protest.
The "rations shops" are the backbone of the public distribution system in Indian states.
But they have been accused of large scale pilferage of food grains meant for the poor into the black market.
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