Bengaluru: The Food and Civil Supplies Department is contemplating to facilitate fair price shops to issue bus, train and air tickets by entering into an agreement with a private agency. The fair price shop owners can provide ticketing services if they have the Internet, printer, and other facilities in the shops.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader told media persons here that PDS shops would be upgraded to live up to the changing trends in the economy and the service sector.

The PDS shop owners have to pay some amount in the form of commission to the private agency for hiring their services. He said the department would formalise the process for providing ticketing services in PDS shops soon and this would also enable to raise the income of the shop owners, Khader said.

In a reply to a query on the BJP claiming credit for launching the Anna Bhagya programme, he said BJP leaders have been misleading the public on the matter. Why have the BJP-governed States not introduced Anna Bhagya scheme to provide subsided food items to the poor, the Minister sought to know.

When asked about rumours about the former Congress Minister D.B. Chandre Gowda’s daughter Veena Gowda joining the Congress, he said the party would welcome both Gowda and his daughter.