Tejashwi Yadav urges Bihar CM to address PDS dealers' pending dues, demands ₹30,000 monthly honorarium

Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, has written to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary highlighting the unresolved grievances of Public Distribution System (PDS) dealers in the state. In his letter dated September 9, 2026, Yadav underscored the critical role these dealers play in delivering foodgrains to millions of underprivileged families, even as their own economic and administrative concerns remain unaddressed.

Yadav pointed to a severe financial strain on dealers caused by high inflation, administrative hurdles, and persistent technical issues. He specifically flagged that commission payments to dealers have been pending for periods ranging from six months to a year, pushing many vendors and their families into crisis. He demanded the immediate release of these pending amounts.

Drawing comparisons with other states, Yadav proposed that Bihar adopt the Gujarat model of providing PDS dealers a fixed monthly honorarium of at least ₹30,000. He also called for provisions to appoint eligible dependents of dealers on compassionate grounds without a time limit, a practice he noted is followed in Jharkhand.

The RJD leader also reminded the government of a previously announced ₹47 increase in dealer commission, which he claimed has not been implemented despite a year having passed. He urged the state to enforce this hike with immediate effect and clear the associated arrears.

Addressing systemic issues, Yadav sought strict action against reported corruption, irregularities, and under-weighing at Bihar State Food Corporation (BSFC) warehouses. He called for greater transparency and real-time solutions for technical glitches related to weighing scales, e-PoS machines, and servers, to shield both vendors and beneficiaries from failures. He further recommended establishing an effective grievance redressal mechanism at district and block levels and organising regular tripartite meetings between officials and Fair Price Dealers Association representatives.

In a related development, an RJD delegation met an Election Commission official in the absence of the Chief Electoral Officer, submitting a memorandum to Additional Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Priyadarshi. The delegation demanded an extension of the voter registration deadline for the Tirhut Graduate Constituency and the removal of alleged bogus voters from the electoral roll.