Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 14: Criticising J&K Government for introducing biometric machines for ration distribution among the people of J&K at this juncture, former minister and senior Congress leader Mula Ram and DCC president Jammu Rural, Hari Singh Chib today said that it is not the right time to distribute ration among people in view of COVID-19 crisis on biometric machines at ration depots.
In a joint statement issued here today, these leaders said that on one hand J&K Government has suspended all biometric attendance in the all Government offices and schools in the Union Territory and on the other, they are planning to introduce biometric machines for ration distribution outlets for providing free ration to the BPL/PHH people for six months.
Referring to the reports, they asserted that despite Union Government’s claim to provide three months ration free to BPL families in the country affected due to on-going lockdown necessitated by the spread of Global COVID-19, about 60 percent people in J&K have not even received the two months normal ration given at the rate of Rs 3 per kg to BPL families till date.
Cong leaders said that the Government had announced ration for the months of March and April for the people of J&K UT under BPL and Priority House Hold Scheme but the same has only been distributed only 40 percent families till date in Jammu region and 70 percent in Kashmir valley while the three month supply of free ration announced by GoI for the poor and down-trodden has not been lifted by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department (FCS&CA) so far, with the result many poor families including migrant laborers are at the verge of starvation.
They asserted that there is a big chunk of people across Jammu and Kashmir who still have not been provided ration either by Government or voluntary bodies. There are apprehensions that the problem may aggravate in case the lockdown was re-imposed by the authorities due to the present situation in which number of COVID positive cases are rising day by day, they added.
“Under such circumstances, the Government should immediately take extra ordinary steps in arranging ration for such BPL families so that they may not face any inconvenience,” they said appealing Govt to avoid use biometric machines at ration deports till corona is over.
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