Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 31: While the people in Jammu, Samba, Kathua and majority of the districts are getting ration every month, the consumers in Rajouri and Poonch are being provided ration after three months and that too, not full quota by the dealers with the plea to the innocent rationees that Modi Govt has issued new order.
A well-knit nexus of ration dealers and the employees of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) is operating in these border districts of Rajouri and Poonch as more than fifty percent quota of the consumers’ is not reaching up to them and is being pilferaged and sold in the black. There is no proper check by the senior officials of the department and the public is getting hardly one months ration at many places and are told that the department had not released previous months’ quota.
Excelsior team which conducted extensive survey in Taryath, Kalakote, Tredu (Khawas), Kandi (Kotranka), Budhal, Darhal, Thannamandi, Manjakote, Loran, Bafliaz, Saujian, Surankot, Mankote, Sagra, Mendhar, Poonch, Balakote, Noshera, Qila Darhal, Lam-Ladoka, Rajpur-Bhata, Kamila, Pukharni, Jhangar, Beri Pattan and Sunderbani areas found that on the name of supply of three months ration, the CAPD authorities were duping the rationees in these districts.
Hundreds of people who were contacted even from the interior villagers of Rehan Swari, Peeri, Plangar, Khwas, Chhatral, Kalaban, Balnoi and other areas revealed that when ever they go to the ration depot, they never get full quota. Some times they come with rice or wheat/ Atta while sugar to PHH category people is hardly delivered once after 4-5 month.
One Zubair from Manyal Gali ( Thannamandi) told that they are not getting full quota of ration ever after three months. Sugar has not been given for the last four months while the local dealer told that he had not received full quota of ration from TSO for the last two months. Mohd Bashir from Samote in Kotranka told that many poor people can not lift three months ration as they do not have enough money. They leave their ration some times. Moreover, three months full quota is not ever available at the depots. The people hardly get one or two months ration while rest is sold in the black market. He said that concept of providing ration every month was good. Under the garb of three months ration more than 50 % ration is being sold by the CAPD officials and dealers in the black. This concept has given rise to pilferage of huge ration worth crores of BPL category.
One Shakeel Ahmed from Rehan area of Kandi alleged that people should get ration every month because there is no scope of pilferage. The dealers give false pleas some times that CAPD has not supplied previous quota while officials claim that they are supplying advance quota of ration. There is total confusion. And this concept of three months ration has only given scope of major food scandal in this district. He said that dealers claim that three months concept of ration has been given under Modi scheme. But infact, there is no such scheme of three months ration under any Modi scheme.
The villagers of many areas also revealed that dealers off load ration at road side and distribute there while withdraw carriage charges in connivance with some insiders in the Department. This is happening at many places in this remote area.
Tariq Mehmood at Loran also revealed that villagers are getting ration after three months and are deprived of full quota of ration. He demanded that they should get ration every month and sugar is hardly made available to them. He alleged that they suspect black marketing of villagers quota as they are getting wheat at the rate of Rs 2 per kg and rice at Rs 3 per kg and they easily sell public quota in black making huge money. This concept of three months under so called Modi Scheme has given rise to black marketing of public ration and CAPD officials and dealers are hands in glove with each other in this `black trade’.
Minister for FCS&CA Mohd Ashraf Mir when contacted said that he was not aware of this three months ration issue. Mir said he has only this concept that people are getting ration every month and the people of Rajouri and Poonch will also be getting like other areas. He assured to hold inquiry into the matter and take review with the concerned officers at Jammu and Rajouri-Poonch.
Director FSC &CA Jammu, R A Inqlabi when contacted said that the then minister concerned Ch Zuflkar Ali had taken a decision on public demand to provide ration to the people in remote areas after three months and that too, in advance. He said the Department was supplying full quota of ration after three months including sugar quota to PHH category. He said it had been done on public demand and there is no concept of Modi Scheme as well. The People had to come from far off areas to get the ration. The Director said they will take again review of the system and if public opposes, the old system of ration supply after every month will be restored.
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