Union Government eulogizes the passing of Food Security Bill as a remarkable achievement of UPA II. It is given extraordinary media hype. No doubt some areas in the country might have found the Bill beneficial for the public. But as far as our State is concerned, we have yet to evaluate the benefits brought by the Food Security Bill. The fact is that almost in all districts of Jammu Division, there is food crisis of sorts, which the media is not highlighting for reasons not known. Public Distribution System in rural areas has shown serious cracks and if reformative measures are not expedited, the situation may become critical. A large number of remote areas in districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Ramban, Udhampur and Kathua are faced with acute shortage of ration, rice, atta, and sugar. Consumers have to pay several visits to the approved ration depots before they are able to receive the quota of ration sanctioned to them according to the existing rules. The handling of distribution system by the dealers is faulty and excess rates are charged despite the fact that rate list of food items is displayed emphatically on the shops.
There are several glaring discrepancies in the public distribution system owing to which shortage of ration supplies to the rural areas of Jammu region has occurred. Scaling has been made on the basis of 2001 census report and more than a lakh and a half have been added to the number of households who actually stand in need of ration. Thus we find that the Food Corporation of India is supplying the quota of ration to the State according to 2001 census figures. This is the biggest reason about the shortage of food grains. Secondly, there is enormous pilferage of stocks at various levels. Ultimately, the brunt has to be borne by the ordinary consumer because his delivery is either scuttled or delayed beyond reasonable time. Thirdly, depot holders are also playing mischief by hoarding supplies, pretending that supplies have not been received and selling stocks in the black market. People need to survive and they are forced to pay through the nose when they have to buy food grains from the open market on exorbitant rates, which they cannot afford. Obviously, since it is a corruption of sorts, there must be a nexus working behind the curtain. No nexus can become successful unless it has covert support and approval from powerful and influential sources within the Government cadres. The entire system is stinking and has become reprehensible. Affected people in remote rural areas have become restive. Their patience cannot be stretched. On the one hand prices are touching the sky and on the other hand supplies are marred by shortage. This phenomenon is highly explosive unless drastic and extraordinarily quick steps are taken by the authorities to stitch in time. Why should the dealers charge a rupee or more per kilogram than the price demonstrated in the price list? Where are the authorities of Food Department whose job is to ensure fair public distribution? The Union Government issues occasional statements saying that there is no shortage of food grains in the country and the States are lifting their approved quota of food grains. If the dealers say that they are regularly lifting their monthly quota this means that there is no shortage of food grains. In that case there is pilferage and it has to be plugged. So far the authorities concerned have not taken any effective step to stem the rot in the CAPD department. If the situation is allowed to continue for some days more, there might be general unrest among the vast affected people. We must say with fair amount of confidence that the Public Distribution System in the State is obsolete one and not in conformity with the present needs. It asks for wide and deep reforms and has to be made a people friendly organization. We hope that authorities understand the consequences of non-delivery of ration to the public in time. If there is unexplained shortage or non delivery of rations, obviously, there is some serious bottleneck somewhere that has to be taken care of.
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