Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 14 (IANS): While effective handling of the Covid situation, especially the distribution of free food kits to all families during the pandemic, helped Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to a second term in office, the state government failed to keep its promise made to the ration dealers, who distributed the food kits.

On Friday, the Supreme Court came to the aid of close to 15,000 ration dealers as it ordered the Pinarayi Vijayan government to pay them their promised commission for the work they had done during the pandemic.

The All Kerala Retail Ration Dealers was promised Rs 5 per kit comprising basic food items, which they distributed to the people for 13 months starting April 2020. However, the state government paid them only for three months.

The dealers, who got a favourable order from the Kerala High Court, were miffed after the state government approached the apex court. However, the state government suffered a setback when the top court on Friday ordered it to pay the ration dealers the promised amount.