Lucknow: At the Cabinet meeting chaired by CM Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday, the government took a major decision in the interest of the state's fair price shop dealers, that is, ration shop dealers. The government has approved the proposal to provide an additional state margin of Rs. 25 per quintal to ration shop dealers on food grains distributed under the National Food Security Act, 2013, and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. This decision will provide direct financial benefit to ration sellers in the state and strengthen their livelihoods.
Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said that earlier, under the order dated September 1, 2026, the basic margin for fair price shop dealers had been increased from Rs. 90 to Rs. 100 per quintal. With an additional state margin of Rs. 25 per quintal, ration shop dealers' income will increase further.
Under the existing system, because food grains are delivered to ration shops in a single stage, ration shop dealers have to bear various expenses during the distribution process. As a result, their monthly savings remained extremely limited. In such a situation, an additional state margin will provide them with direct financial relief and make it easier than before to support their families.
This Cabinet decision will take effect from July 2026. In the financial year 2026-27, the state government will incur an additional expenditure burden of Rs. 168.75 crore for 9 months, from July 2026 to March 2027. Estimated expenditure for the entire financial year will be around Rs. 225 crore. The state distributes an average of 90 lakh metric tonnes of food grains annually.
