Govt declares alive ration card holders’ dead
Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, May 23: The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department (FCS&CA) is allegedly denying subsidized food grains to several poor families belonging to AAY, PHH, or BPL category in Budgam and Srinagar districts citing non-linking of Aadhaar with their ration cards.
Several poor families who are entitled to receive highly subsidized food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) told Excelsior that the officials at the ration stores are refusing them subsidized food grains saying their ration cards have been deactivated because they have not seeded Aadhaar with it. Contrary to the claim, however, the official website of the department clearly reveals the ration cards are not only active but Aadhaar has also been linked with them.
On May 11, Ali Mohammad Jahara, AAY Beneficiary received the shock of his life when he was informed at the ration shop that his ration card had been cancelled because of his death. “I told the storekeeper that I am alive and healthier than him,” he said.
He could not believe the storekeepers denied him ration despite waiting outside the store for a long time. The storekeeper turned down his repeated pleas and forced him to pay Rs 1000 for the ration which would have cost him Rs 150 only.
When the name of Ali Jahara was searched on the online portal of the department, it was found that he has an active ration card with Aadhaar cards of both spouses linked to it.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a local activist, who exposed this malpractice told Excelsior that he had found over 20-such cases in the Gogjee Pather village alone. “Apart from this the, officials are refusing the families their full quota of food grains. By doing so, they save some food grains and selling the same in the black market,” he said.
Not only this, he said, at some places the officials are refusing the free ration to the beneficiaries under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana that was announced to prevent the poor from starvation during COVID-19 across the country. “The erring officials are stocking the extra ration which the beneficiaries receive under this scheme by denying the consumers their share. Later, they sell the rice in the black market”, he said.
Under National Food Security Act, 2013 the eligible beneficiaries under priority households (PHH) are entitled to receive 5 kgs of food grains per soul per month at subsidized prices of Rs.3/2/1 per kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains. The beneficiaries under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), which make up the poorest of the poor, receive 35 kg of foodgrains per household per month.
Under the Non-Priority Households (NPHH) category they provided the beneficiaries food grains at a scale of 05 kg/soul per month at a subsidized price of Rs.12 per Kg for wheat, Rs.13 per Kg for Atta & Rs.15 per Kg for Rice. At present, the department is providing highly subsidized food grains to 74.13 lakh souls under Priority Households (PHH) of the State at a rate of Rs 3 and Rs 2 for rice and wheat, respectively. The department is also providing subsidized food grains to around 45 lakh people under Non-Priority Households (NPHH) at Rs. 12, Rs. 13 & Rs. 15 for Wheat, Atta, and Rice respectively.
Another consumer from Dara, Harwan area of Srinagar, Gayasudin told Excelsior that he has not bought food grains for the last three months as the department has forced him to buy it at an exorbitant price. “After entering my biometrics at the ration shop I came to know that the actual price for my monthly quota of 25 kgs is only Rs 75. But the officials were charging me Rs 300 for the same. So, I stopped buying the rice and started fighting against the injustice,” he said, adding that he was also getting 5-kgs less than the allotted monthly quota.
Similar stories are emerging from the most backward area of Srinagar, Faqeer Gujri, where scores of families are getting ration at exorbitant rates.
Fayaz Ahmad Phamda, a BPL ration cardholder, pays around Rs 300 for his 15 kgs of rice every month while he should get the food grains at Rs 45 only. “I have never confronted them as I am aware of overcharging. Some people are getting the rice at lower prices,” he said.
He is not the lone case from this area, there are several such cases wherein poor consumers are forced to buy food grains at exorbitant rates. “I met several BPL families who were supposed to get ration at Rs 3 per kg, but are being charged Rs 10-15 per kg. Except for some influential families, most of the families are receiving food grains at higher rates. People here are downtrodden and they cannot raise their voice,” Farooq Kuthoo, spokesperson of the Jammu and Kashmir RTI movement, who is working in the area, told Excelsior.
Commissioner/Secretary FCS & CA, Zubair Ahmad, told Excelsior that they are looking into the matter. “Director FCS&CA is looking into the matter,” he said.
Additional Director, FCS&CA, Mushtaq Ahmad, assured serious action would be taken if they found anyone guilty. “We will spare no one,” he said.
He added people who have not linked their Aadhaar with the ration card usually come up with such complaints. “Government has made it mandatory for everyone to link the Adhaar with the ration card for more transparency. A huge chunk of the population has not done so and I request them to link their Aadhaar as soon as possible,” he said.
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