Supply of subsidized sugar to consumers in all the ten districts of Jammu stands derailed. Hardly one week remains for the month of May to go by, but no sugar is available at the outlets. Contradictory reports are coming in with regard to the shortage, and people are at a loss to know the real cause. There are two different versions of supply position. CAPD is the state agency that takes care of supply of rations including sugar to all the ten districts of Jammu. According to its sources, the delay has been caused by transportation problem. Jammu lifts around 32000 quintals of sugar every month from private sugar companies in Maharashtra. According to official version, non availability of railway carriages has caused delay. They believe that the situation will ease out in next two or three days when some bogies are expected to deliver the goods.
Why transportation problem has cropped up is not clear. There are no reports of any strike by railway employees or the concerned labour force at any place. Railways have not formally announced any change in the schedule. How then did this sudden transportation problem crop up? We do not know what answer the CAPD will have to that question.
Some officials have attributed the delay in supply to non payment of arrears to the tune of 150 crore rupees to private suppliers of sugar in Maharashtra. CAPD has signed contract with suppliers in Maharashtra that the fixed quantity of sugar will continue to be supplied uninterruptedly for one year which is about the middle of July 2014. But despite repeated notices to CAPD to clear the balance payment, there has not been any positive response. As such the suppliers took the decision of stopping further supply of sugar unless at least 50 per cent of outstanding payment was cleared.
In recent weeks, CAPD has been in news about large scale involvement of its functionaries in scams and corrupt practices. Even the High Court had asked about the status report on action being taken against the indicted functionaries of this department. No wonder, if some day, we are told that even in the case of shortage of sugar supply to all the ten districts of Jammu, corrupt CAPD functionaries have a hand. It has to be recalled that prior to the unveiling of big scam in this department, there had happened shortage of ration supplies to private dealers and outlets and there was much resentment among sections of people that the Government was making discrimination and also incompetent functionaries were handling the case. It is in this background that we suggest a probe by the concerned Minister into this case of artificial shortage. We would also like to mention that time and again the CAPD officials have been assuring that adequate quantity of ration is stored at district headquarters to meet the requirements of the people. The shortage of sugar belies such statements.
The Government has to ensure regular and uninterrupted supply of items of ration not only in the towns and cities, but more importantly in far off rural areas of the State where access during winter months is restricted. Retail outlets in Kashmir are also facing shortage although Kashmir lifts 8000 quintals of sugar more than what Jammu lifts each month from sugar barons of Maharashtra.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel