Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 29: Terming the food policy of the State as absurd, the former Union Minister Prof Chaman Lal Gupta has stressed for its total review to make it realistic and fruitful.
He said that the Centre is doling more than rupees six thousand crores per annum as subsidy component for supply of rations at most cheaper rates but in this State supply system is not only full of flaws and ridiculous but has come to be a source of malpractices badly affecting the polity.
In a statement, Prof Gupta said that the ration supply system in this State had a long history but the present one was introduced about two years back with the adoption of what is called as National Food Security Act. But instead of having any comprehensive planning and survey, the lists of the rationees were prepared by the Revenue Department in a most up hazard manner which on their very look appear faulty, rather scandalous. Contrary to repeated announcement, he added, most of the rationees are being issued ration cards unfilled and unsigned. Now the funny aspect is that these ration cards on the very face of it were for the period of July 2015 to January 2018, although just a few days have left in the beginning of January 2018, he said.
“In the Assembly, it was officially given that wheat was being procured through FCI at the rate of Rs. 6/- per Kg and rice at rate of Rs 8, which in turn supplied at Rs 8/- and Rs. 10/- respectively. But for the past some months, these are being supplied as wheat Rs 13/- per Kg and rice Rs. 15/- per kg. No reason has been assigned for this abnormal increase,” Prof Gupta said.
He also pointed out that for supply of rations the number of household has been recorded over 28 lakh, whereas the electric household connections are less than that of eighteen lakhs and in the census of 2011, this number was recorded as 22,18000.
Prof Gupta demanded that the entire policy is required to be scrutinized to make it realistic to achieve the cherished results.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel