Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 19: In a major relief for cardholders across Karnataka, the state government has issued an order revising the operational timings of ration shops, ensuring citizens no longer need to skip work to stand in long queues. The new regulations will officially come into effect statewide from October 1.

The government had earlier issued strict directives mandating all APL and BPL cardholders to complete their ration card e-KYC. Prompted by this, citizens began abandoning their daily livelihoods to crowd fair price shops. Severe congestion and frequent server downtimes left many heavily exhausted. Although the state government previously extended the e-KYC deadline to October 20, anxiety persisted among customers over losing work hours to wait in queues. Finding a practical solution, the state government has restructured the operating hours of fair price shops through an official order.

To accommodate working-class citizens, including daily wage earners, construction labourers and auto drivers, food and civil supplies minister Rizwan Arshad has introduced an eight-hour split-shift system for fair price shops, taking effect statewide from October 1, 2026. The shifts will be from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm for the morning shift and from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm for the evening shift.

Previously, rigid shop timings forced working-class individuals to sacrifice an entire day's wages to queue up for hours. Under the revised schedule, workers can conveniently visit shops before heading to work or after completing their shifts.

Additionally, the government has strictly instructed all fair price shop owners to adhere to the new timetable. Minister Arshad warned that stern disciplinary action would be initiated without leniency against any distributors who fail to open shops on time or cause undue inconvenience to the public.