Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 18: Former Union Minister, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta has stressed for total review of the food management to stem the rot so that draining of exchequer is put to a halt.
In a statement issued here, today he said the prevailing system has led to breeding of malpractices than giving the tangible results about eradication of poverty and containing the prices.
Commenting on the swelling number of rationees especially those of the “poor” getting rations at highly subsidized rates viz. Rs. 2/- to Rs. 3/- per kg involving the subsidy component of Rs. 20/- to Rs. 25/- per kg, Prof Gupta said that this was costing the Indian exchequer hundreds of crores of rupees.
In this regard he pointed out that in early eighties when in the country under the slogans of eradication of poverty various developmental schemes were launched in J&K, the number of the families of the poor were identified as four lakh and seventeen thousand which formed as about 29% of the population of the State. But in 2004 for purpose of the supply of the subsidized rations, this number went up to seven lakh fifty six thousand, which formed about forty percent of the total population of the State, he added.
But after the enforcement of the National Food Security Act the number of poor categories of families has risen to about 19 lakh comprising of over 74 lakh souls, which form about 70 percent of the total population, he added and also pointed out that on August 15th, 2005, the State Government got the first prize for eradication of poverty which was adjudged first at 3.98 percent in this State. It was lowest in the country, he added.
Prof.Gupta said that it was surprising that the State is still getting the subsidized rations in the name of poor and that too, for about 70 percent population.
He said that there are several other aspects of the ration supply system which clearly indicate to the scandalous proportions, rather more than that of infamous Chara Ghotala of Bihar.
In this regard, Prof. Gupta also pointed out that the number of rationees household have been listed at twenty eight lakh fifteen thousand whereas in the census of 2001 the number of household was recorded at about twenty two lakh and the electricity supply connections are just about eighteen lakh. This indicated that there is much needed to be looked into.
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