10 LPG bottling plants, oil depots proposed for Rajouri, Poonch: Zulfkar

Minister for FCS & CA, Ch Zulfkar Ali chairing a meeting at Rajouri on Thursday.
Minister for FCS & CA, Ch Zulfkar Ali chairing a meeting at Rajouri on Thursday.

Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, June 15:  Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Information Department, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today said that Government has proposed to establish ten LPG gas bottling plants and oil depots in twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
The Minister asked Deputy Commissioners to identify and acquire the required land for the installations which have great potential for economic uplift of the region.
The Minister was speaking at meeting held to review the functioning of Food, Civil Services and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Legal Metrology Department (LMD) and Information and Public Relation (DIPR) Department of Rajouri and Poonch districts.
The meeting was attended by District Development Commissioner (DDC) Rajouri  Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, DDC Poonch  Tariq Ahmad Zargar,  Director FCS&CA, Rashid  Inquilabi, SDMs, Tehsildars of both districts,  Joint Controller Legal Metrology,  Assistant Directors FCS&CA, District Information Officer   TSOs and other officers of Legal Metrology.
The Minister said that there is no dearth of ration after implementation of National Food Security Act in the State and only thing needed is efficient distribution system which could be achieved with the coordination of local administrations.
“To stream line the distribution system of ration we had already set up District Level Monitoring Authority (DLMA) and Tehsil Level Monitoring Authority (TLMA) to minimize the chance of pilferage, hoarding and profiting”, he said .
The Minister stressed for proactive role of Vigilance Monitoring Committees and other stakeholders to promote the concept of community participation in public distribution system.
Expressing serious concern over reports of   anti-consumer practices, the Minister said consumers rights must be protected at every cost. “This needs focused attentions from concerned department and local administration  specially in far flung areas where the chance of black marketing and uneven profiting is more”, he added.
Reviewing the working of the department, the Minister directed the Assistant Directors (ADs) to take up exercise of Adhaar seeding under missionary mode and complete it within ten days.  He said it would greatly help in enforcing transparency at all levels .
To check the pilferage of ration, the Minister stressed for keeping close  check on fair price shops, ration depots.
Responding to the  reports of the pilferage of kerosene oil, the Minster directed the District Development Commissioners to constitute committees under concerned SDMs and Tehsildars who will submit the reports in a time bound manner for onward submission so that remedial measure are taken for  further streamlining of the system.
The Minister also underscored the need of making the public distribution system more effective, efficient and prompt. He said that through new fair price shops the department is embarking on the path of privatization, digitization and automation.
Meanwhile, the Minister asked the Deputy Commissioners to prepare a detailed report for strengthening and reviving of information department in twin districts.