Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 24: Minister for Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Information Department, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali called on Union Minister for Agriculture and in-charge Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Radha Mohan Singh and Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution C R Chaudhary pressing for sale of food grains under Open Market Sale System (OMSS) in Jammu & Kashmir.
Chairman & Managing Director of Food Corporation of India (FCI) Yogendra Tripathi was also present on the occasion.
Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali during interaction with Union Ministers apprised them about the problems being faced by Jammu & Kashmir Government due to delay in open tendering of food grains by Food Corporation of India in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Minister briefed them that Jammu & Kashmir Government implemented National Food Security Act from February 2016 in which they covered 119.13 lakh souls which is 95% population of the State. He said that keeping in view the topography and tough terrain besides less agricultural production, people raised the issue of enhancement of quantity of ration per soul. He added that the demand was genuine and State Government decided to raise the quantity of food grains to beneficiaries and issued Government Order No. 74-CAPD of 2016 dated 20-04-2016 giving sanction to the implementation of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) in J&K State with effect from 1st July 2016.
The Minister apprised Union Ministers that the scheme provides for giving additional 5 Kg of food grains per soul over and above the National Food Security Act scale to Below Poverty Line, Priority Households, and Non Priority Households bonafide rationees having family size from 1 to 6 souls subject to maximum of 35 Kgs per family.
Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali briefed Union Government that there is a monthly requirement of 2534792 quintals of food grains of wheat and rice under MMSFES in which State Government had to supply 119000 quintals in Kashmir and 134479 quintals in Jammu province. He said that a total of 2245922 families are being benefitted under this scheme for whom additional rations are needed.
Raising open tendering issue, the Minister said that food grains under MMSFES are procured under OMSS from the FCI and the expenditure on this account is borne by the State Government.
He brought into the notice of Radha Mohan Singh and CR Choudhary that during the current final year the open sale of rice and wheat through open tendering has not been started yet and as such the department is facing a lot of inconvenience on this account in Jammu & Kashmir.
Minister requested Union Government to intervene in the matter and issue instructions to FCI authorities to start sale of food grains under OMSS in Jammu & Kashmir so that people of the State do not suffer due to this.
After giving patient hearing to the issue raised by Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, Union Government assured that they will sort out the matter of Open Market Sale System with FCI.
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