Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 16: Claiming that implementation of National Food Security Act in J&K would go a long way in plugging pilferage in the existing public distribution system, the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali today alleged that the opposition National Conference was trying to mislead people on the scheme.
“The irony is that the same political parties, which first consented to extension of NFSA to J&K way back in 2011, when they were in power, are today trying to mislead the people for their own vested political interests,” the Minister said while addressing a hurriedly called press conference, here today.
While elaborating, Zulfkar disclosed that the then State Government vide Cabinet decision No: 202/25/2011 dated: 24-11-2011 gave concurrence to the Government of India’s proposal for implementation of NFSA in J&K even as the same had not yet been implemented anywhere in the country as the Act was promulgated on September 10, 2013.
The Minister further alleged that the elements spreading canards regarding the scheme were in-fact frustrated over plugging of loopholes in the system as they were thriving on these loopholes. “Given the fact that implementation of NFSA shall usher an era of assured supply of highly subsidized rations to the citizens of J&K at their doorsteps in a transparent manner, unfortunately, it is not to the liking of some vested interests who were pillaging the existing system for their own vested interests,” the Minister said and added that such elements have got unnerved by the new mechanisms of monitoring and transparency being put in place and have launched a sustained misinformation campaign on NFSA,” he alleged.
Urging people not to get carried away by the misleading propaganda of the people with vested interest, the Minister said the NFSA implementation is in the larger public interest and it would benefit the poorest of the poor.
Zulfkar said that out of 22.05 lakh Enrollment Forms issued in the State for roll-out of NFSA, around 10 lakh forms have been received by the Government till date and the people are coming forward in large numbers to get enrolled before December 18, 2015, the last date fixed for submission of the completed forms. “22.73 lakh families comprising 119.13 lakh souls are to be covered under NFSA in the State and the CA&PD Department, with the help of concerned District Development Commissioners, is in the process of creating a comprehensive data-base in this regard,” he added.
The Minister elaborated that the Government will take a holistic review of the whole enrollment exercise on December 18, 2015, and if the need arises, the last date for submission of Enrollment Forms could be extended to enable all the deserving families to get enrolled for NFSA before its rollout on February 1, 2016. He said once the enrollment process is complete, the provisional enrollment lists would be publicized for public scrutiny so that the discrepancies if any could be taken care of. “Given the magnitude of the enrollment exercise being carried out simultaneously throughout the State, there are chances of errors and omissions,” he said and added that the same would be rectified by the concerned before publishing the final lists.
The Minister said that under the existing dispensation only 18.02 lakh families, comprising a population of 99 lakh souls are covered under Public Distribution System (PDS) in J&K while the implementation of NFSA will cover 22.73 lakh families comprising a population of 119.13 lakh souls. “While 13.73 lakh families comprising 74.13 lakh souls would get highly subsidized rations at the rate of Rs 2 per kg (atta) and Rs 3 per kg (rice), another 7.85 lakh families comprising 45 lakh souls would get rations at the rate of Rs 8 (atta) and Rs 10 per kg (rice),” he said and added that every family member in these categories would be entitled to get 5 kgs ration per head except 2.56 lakh families comprising 13.77 lakh souls in AAY category who would continue to get 35 kgs ration per family, irrespective the number of family members.
The Minister said a small chunk of population of around 6 lakh souls comprising persons with income of more than Rs 25 lakh per annum, persons holding constitutional positions including Ministers and Legislators, employees of the State and the Central Governments in the Gazetted cadre and a person owning more than 80 kanals of land individually or 250 kanals of land in joint family shall be kept out of NFSA. He said for such families food-grains would be made available on OMSS (Open Market Sale Scheme) rates.
During the press conference, the Minister was accompanied by Commissioner Secretary CAPD, Sourav Bhagat, Director CAPD Jammu, G S Chib and other senior officers of the Department.
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