Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 5: Over three lakh families in Jammu and Kashmir will remain deprived of ration as slackness of the Deputy Commissioners has created hurdles in the implementation of deadline fixed by the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department for distribution of ration to the people as per 2011 Census.
Due to the prevailing situation, the Government is not in a position to specify any time-frame for distribution of ration as per latest census, which otherwise is the commitment of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government made in its Agenda for Alliance.
According to the official data, at present the State Government is providing ration to 19.72 lakh families with 1.01 crore souls as per 2001 census and as per 2011 census the requirement of ration is for 22.73 lakh families with 1.25 crore souls. The State Government is getting ration from Union Government /Food Corporation of India for 18.02 lakh families with 99.45 lakh souls as per projected population for 2000 resulting in shortfall of 16500 Metric Tonnes per month.
On one side, the State Government has taken up the issue of meeting the shortfall with the Central Government and on the other side the present regime has decided to provide ration to the people of the State as per 2011 census despite shortfall in ration allocation from the Centre by utilizing its own resources.
In order to provide ration on subsidized rates as per 2011 census till the Government of India releases additional quota projected by the J&K, the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Ch Zulfkar Ali in the month of April this year directed all the Deputy Commissioners to provide village-wise list of beneficiaries under different categories within a period of one month.
For this purpose, district level committees headed by Deputy Commissioner concerned with Assistant Director, CAPD concerned as Member Secretary were constituted so as to conduct verification of all categories of rationees with special focus on working out the number of additional families.
On May 12, the Minister for CAPD while reviewing the progress of verification to ascertain the exact number of additional families under different categories in a meeting with the Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir division, issued directions for submission of data within stipulated time-frame and announced that Government was determined to supply ration according to 2011 census from June this year.
“However, Minister has failed to give practical shape to his announcement because of slackness of several Deputy Commissioners as only 12 DCs have furnished the requisite data till date”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding 10 Deputy Commissioners have yet not completed the exercise, which they were required to complete before ending May.
They disclosed that four Deputy Commissioners of Jammu province and 8 Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir valley have so far furnished the data sought by the CAPD Minister while as rest have been going slow despite repeated directions about strict adherence to the time-line of one month.
They disclosed that CAPD Minister has now given last one week time to remaining 10 Deputy Commissioners for furnishing of requisite information as their slackness has already embarrassed the Minister. “Now, no specific time-frame has been fixed for distribution of ration as per 2011 census, which otherwise is vital point incorporated by both the coalition partners in the Agenda for Alliance”, sources added.
According to the sources, after receipt of information/data from all the Deputy Commissioners, the CAPD Department would compare the same with the socio-economic caste census being conducted by the Rural Development Department, which is almost at the completion stage. Thereafter, new Aadhar compliant ration cards would be distributed to the new as well as old rationees.
When contacted, Secretary CAPD Department, Saurabh Bhagat confirmed that 10 Deputy Commissioners have yet not submitted the data sought by the CAPD Department, adding “they have been told explicitly by the Minister that they shall ensure compliance of one week time-frame at any cost so that further exercise is initiated for distribution of ration as per 2011 census”. He, however, failed to give any specific time-frame for this and said, “the Government is committed to provide ration as per 2011 Census anytime during the current financial year”.
About issuance of new ration cards, the Secretary said that J&K Bank would publish the cards for the CAPD Department and issuance of such cards would be started on pilot basis in six districts—three each of Jammu and Kashmir provinces and thereafter every month more districts would be added.
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