Mir Iqbal
SRINAGAR, Feb 10: Scores of people today protested over the mismanagement in distribution of free ration by some Government employees in nexus with their top officers at Lam and its adjoining villages in Tral town of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The angry protesters said that the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department in nexus with some influential people in the area have swindled tons of free ration meant for “poor” people and distributed it among influential families. “Every time we have been told that there was some problem with the ration supply, but the same was distributed among influential families,” the protesters alleged.
Javaid Ahmad, one the protester said that the inhabitants of Lam have been facing this discrimination from past many months. “We registered several complaints with all the top officers including Tehsildar and Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, but no action was taken against the erring employees,” he regretted.
He said: “Those who suffered losses during the last year’s devastating floods are deprived of free ration while as CAPD officials and storekeepers have been providing it to the blue eyed.”
The protesting inhabitants said that after the officials didn’t pay any heed to their genuine demands, which compelled them to hire the vehicles, travel more than 50 kilometers to Srinagar to protest before media.
The angry protesters said that CAPD officials distribute ration as per 2000 census, because of which a major chunk of population has been left without ration. “In last 15 years, population has increased manifold, however, there is no increase in ration quota,” they said. “Families, who lost their crop in floods, have been suffering and not been compensated.”
“We appeal Governor, NN Vohra to look into the issue and order a probe and punish those who are found guilty in this scam,” the inhabitants said.
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