Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 16: The consumers in the State are facing worst ever crisis as the CAPD department has miserably failed to ensure regular supply of ration and levy sugar to them.
First half of this January month is over, but the CAPD authorities have failed to supply even a single bag of ‘Atta’ (flour), rice or even the levy sugar to the consumers in Jammu region while the supply condition in Kashmir region is also said to be the same. Worst is the condition in the hilly and mountainous areas of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Ramban, Kistwar, Reasi, Kathua and Udhampur districts where the general public is mainly dependent on the food stuff provided by the CAPD department. There is very less scope of agriculture produce in this hilly belt.
In contrary to the tall claims of the Mufti led Government functionaries few months back to provide ration to the people as per 2011 census, the public is deprived off even the old existing quota of ration. At present, they are getting hardly 40% to 50 % of their total allotted quota of ration whereas, in last five months, levy sugar has been provided to the public only once. The Govt failed to ensure regular supply of sugar for one year and finalized tenders in November 2015 that too, for just three months and has again called fresh national tenders hardly four days back, which may again affect the regular supply of sugar for next few months in J&K.
This sluggish approach of the State CAPD authorities have left the J&K consumers high and dry and they have to mainly depend on the ration to be purchased in black from the open market. With the unholy nexus of some key CAPD officials with the influential millers, the uninterrupted supply of wheat continued to flow there and even many millers are getting more quota beyond their grinding capacity as submitted by them on papers to the Industries department, raising a question mark on the functioning of the department and lack or supervision by the senior officers.
The ration dealers in urban as well as semi-urban and rural areas are generally complaining that concerned Tehsil Supply Officers (TSOs) are not providing them full allotted (APL/BPL/AAY) quota of ration including sugar for the last several months and this has resulted into the clash with the consumers. They further alleged that even the pending quota of previous month has not been cleared while in last 16 days, there is no supply at all despite the fact that advance money has been deposited with the Department officials.
Two TSOs placed in Jammu city on the condition of without being quoted disclosed that for the last 5-6 months, they are not being provided full quota of their respective areas from the Central store. Some senior officers have created terror and an unholy nexus has been developed in connivance with some influential millers. Where this public quota of APL and BPL is going, is needed to be investigated by some Govt agency. There is massive pilferage of public ration and people are deprived off their full allotted quota. They said that higher officials are claiming that supply position will be alright after Food Security Act is implemented in the State.
Sources said that the CAPD department is getting one month advance supply of wheat and rice from Food Corporation of India but they are unable to clear one month backlog of the dealers thus creating huge gap. The FCI do not provide them ration till 10th of every month because on the plea that they are already providing one month advance ration to CAPD in J&K. The CAPD authorities are collecting advance money for the ration from the dealers but keeping pendency of at least one month without any reason. This mess created in the department has badly affected the smooth supply position.
Sources in the department told the Excelsior that the purchase committee of the CAPD department led by Director Kashmir last time failed to finalise the rate of the levy sugar and long time was wasted in the negotiation process with the millers from outside the State from whom the CAPD would lift sugar quota. While the sugar was easily available in the open market at the rate of Rs 30 per kilogram, the miller whose tender was found to be lowest had quoted the rate of around Rs 39.50 per kg.
Since the rate of the sugar supply to the J&K by all the seven national competitors had been quoted above Rs 39.50 per kilogram, the State level purchase committee had a few rounds of talks to bring it down. This delay in the process affected the supply of levy sugar quota to the consumers in J&K for several months. While the CAPD provided sugar in December 2015, after the a gap of four months but in January till today there is no supply of levy sugar at all.
While the Director CAPD Kashmir Mr War and Director CAPD Jammu G S Chib were not available for the comments, Dy Director (Rationees), Jammu province Sayed Khan said that there was problem in the supplies because labours were on strike. They were demanding hike in the wages. Now, the issue has been solved and the wheat would be lifted and sent to the mills for grinding from tomorrow. The public is likely to get Atta and rice supply within 3-4 days.
When asked about the non-supply of sugar by CAPD, the Deputy Director said that earlier, Sugar contract was finalized only for three months. Previous contract lapsed in Sept 2015. One month supply had been given and consumers will get the supply for two more months. The fresh national tenders have been called and they will be opened on February 4, 2016. One year supply contract will be signed now and people would get regular supply thereafter. He maintained that there was some financial problem as well and back log of the dealers will also be cleared.
With this attitude of the CAPD authorities, strong resentment is brewing among the people of the State as the department could not provide levy sugar to them even during festivals. They are being kept high and dry for essential supplies by Govt. The public has been left to purchase the sugar from the open market. They say even dealers provide them sugar at the fag end of every month and many consumers remain without supply and their quota is pilfered. Secretary, CAPD Saurabh Bhagat could not be contacted even after repeated calls.
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