Initiate welfare measures for drivers, conductors: Tarigami
Start e-bus service to Mata Sukrala temple: MLA Satish Sharma
Vikas Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 17: Cutting across party lines, many MLAs in the Legislative Assembly today criticized the criteria set by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department for issuing rations to APL, BPL, AAY and PHH card holders.
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During discussions on the grants of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Science and Technology, Information Technology, Youth Services and Sports and ARI Training Departments, the legislators called for revisions and improvements in the process adopted by the FCS&CA Department for ration distribution.
They also urged the Government to take consistent measures to include all eligible families under the Public Distribution System (PDS).
The MLAs raised concerns regarding the Ration Card Management System (RCMS) issued under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), particularly regarding the Non-Priority Household (NPHH) category, and how they may be deprived of benefits. They also emphasized the need to strengthen the distribution network by opening new outlets, including Fair Price Shops (FPS) and Government Sale Centres.
CPI (M) MLA Mohd Yusuf Tarigami expressed his concerns about the scarcity of Fair Price Shops, saying, “It is crucial to open new FPS under the Jammu and Kashmir Targeted Public Distribution System, especially in panchayats without such facilities.”
He also raised the issue of the welfare of drivers and conductors in the Transport Department and suggested forming a task force to address their concerns.
Tarigami recommended that public darbars be conducted by respective Ministers rather than by Deputy Commissioners or Administrative Secretaries.
MLA Satish Sharma demanded the re-verification of existing APL, BPL, AAY, and PHH ration cards and the upgrading of warehouses. He also called for filling vacant positions in the FCS&CA Department.
Regarding the transport sector, he urged the Government to start e-bus services to the Mata Sukrala temple from Jammu, emphasizing that JKRTC is vital for providing affordable, coordinated transport services.
PDP MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para criticized the Sports Council for focusing more on event management and infrastructure, neglecting the true spirit of sports.
He lamented the shift from quality to quantity, which, he argued, had hindered the potential of top athletes.
Para noted that in the past seven years, the Government had failed to produce international players and had ignored athletes like Parveez Rasool, Palak Kour, Abid Nabi, Mehraj Wadoo, Ishfaq Ahmed, Bilques Mir and Mitali.
He called for better support for top athletes, including employment opportunities and the appointment of coaches at stadiums.
BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa called for a rebate for transporters on various fees imposed by the Transport Department and urged the establishment of a fitness center in Jammu. He also advocated for fare revision and highlighted the importance of the transport sector for the region’s economy.
MLAs Dilip Singh Parihar, Aijaz Jan, Iftikar Ahmed, and Peer Zaada Feroz raised concerns about ration distribution in their constituencies and called for the opening of new FPS and Government Sale Centres in remote areas. They also stressed the need for better sports facilities for youth in their constituencies.
MLA Hilal Akbar Lone questioned the rationale behind ration allocation for the ST population in his constituency and highlighted the hardships caused by the non-availability of FPS in their areas.
He demanded improvements in ration distribution and called for the establishment of a sports stadium and the promotion of water sports to boost tourism in his region.
Lone also expressed his concern over the supply of Fortified or plastic rice in Srinagar.
BJP MLA Arvind Gupta addressed deficiencies in public infrastructure and transportation, urging the Government to introduce e-minibuses in the West Constituency to meet the growing demand for public transport.
He also demanded designated stoppage points for minibuses and stressed the need for industrial growth and employment generation to stop the silent migration of youth from J&K.
MLA Ramnagar Dr Sunil Bhardwaj emphasized the potential of the region’s youth and the lack of adequate sports infrastructure, despite the talent in sports such as badminton and cricket. He called for the construction of the Raja Ram Singh Multi-Sports Stadium and the vacating of the Ramnagar Youth Hostel to host sports events.
Dr Bhardwaj also advocated for extending clean and green e-bus services to Ramnagar and nearby areas.
AAP MLA Mehraj Malik raised concerns about the failure of FCS&CA to issue new ration cards since 2011. He also urged an end to the contract mafia within the department and demanded filling vacant posts to improve its functioning.
Malik also suggested providing rebates for new permits to generate employment in the transport sector.
BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi called for internet connectivity in every Panchayat, pointing out that many Government schemes are online, but people in remote areas are deprived of access due to the lack of internet.
He also demanded the introduction of e-buses in far-flung areas and urged the government to start the Bajalta stadium project, previously sanctioned by Dr Farooq Abdullah.
MLA Bani Rameshwar Singh highlighted the availability of 1,400 kanals of land for an international sports stadium in his constituency. He questioned why, if Himachal Pradesh could construct an international stadium, his constituency couldn’t have one.
Singh also suggested that the Government should consider organizing snow festivals, similar to those in Kashmir, to promote tourism.
MLA Akram Choudhary alleged that a mafia was behind the unfair distribution of rations and proposed the creation of a new FPS for every 200 ration cardholder families.
He also called for the construction of a new playfield near schools to engage youth in sports, preventing them from indulging in unhealthy activities.
NC MLA Shamima Firdous from Habba Kadal Assembly constituency asked why the Government has continued supplying fortified rice in Srinagar.
MLAs Shabir Ahmed, Mian Mehar Ali, Bashir Ahmed Veeri, Nizamudin Bhat, Qaysar Jamshaid Lone and Gulzar Ahmed Khatana also raised concerns over the unfair distribution of rations and demanded new FPS and Government Sale Centres in remote areas in their constituencies.
They also pushed for the development of sports stadiums to encourage youth participation in sports in their constituencies.
The clarification over this issue raised by two MLAs including, Shamima Firdous and Hilal Akbar Lone was given by Satish Sharma, the Minister of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.
He said, “The scheme of supplying the fortified rice under various welfare programmes from July 2024 to December 2028 has been approved by the PM Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet on October 9, 2024.
“The fortified rice is supplied to ensure inclusive nutritional security in the country. This initiative aims to provide vulnerable populations with enhanced nutrition by distributing fortified rice enriched with essential micronutrients such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B12. We are following the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI),” informed Sharma.
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