* Sugar millers’ liability crosses Rs 100 cr
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 23: The cash starved Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department could lift hardly 35% of the full ration quota in March, leaving consumers high and dry across the State while sugar millers’ liability has crossed Rs 100 crore mark.
Reports received from various districts in Jammu province revealed that many Government ration depots have gone dry and many of them are lying closed for the last about three weeks as cash starved CAPD Department failed to lift food-quota from the Food Corporation of India. Worst is the condition in hilly and remote areas of Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Udhampur, Kathua and Reasi, where not only APL but the BPL ration is hardly available to the public. There is lot of public hue and cry in these areas for the last several weeks.
While the district heads (Assistant Directors) and the Tehsil Supply Officers concerned have expressed their inability to provide full sanctioned quota to the rationees for the last month of this financial year (March 2014), on the ground that no sufficient funds were provided by the State Government for the purchase of ration, the sources in the department indicated that in view of clearance of huge liability of FCI and private contractors/ sugar millers, the Government could not procure adequate food stuff. Not during the month of March, but the public is likely to suffer for want of adequate ration in April as well.
The March is almost over, but the rice, ‘Atta’ and even the levy sugar is not available to the consumers in the Government ration depot in many districts. In Jammu and some urban areas of the region, the public has been issued some ration quote stuff to avoid immediate public wrath but in rural and remote areas of the province, the supply position has been badly hit.
Under such circumstances the people have been forced to purchase the ration from the open market. Even the CAPD has stopped issuing wheat in rural areas and the stuff is directly sent to the mills for grinding, due to sudden rush the process of supplies also delayed. Otherwise, village people have option for grinding CAPD wheat at their own in the local ‘Atta-Chakki’ or water mills. The big and `influential millers’ are thriving on the CAPD grinding.
The reports from Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri, Reasi and many parts of Kashmir revealed that majority of the people, especially from the hilly and mountainous region are dependent on the ration quota from the Government outlets as there is no much scope of agriculture produce there. This time, even problem regarding BPL quota has also been experienced by the consumers. The consumers alleged that this happens especially during March and April every year. The Government appears to be un-concerned to provide essential commodity to its public, they maintained.
Data compiled from various districts of Jammu province revealed that in Kathua against the total quota of 15000 qtl wheat just 4000 qtl was provided whereas, against the quota of 5800 qtl rice, just 2000 qtl was issued this month and hardly one-fourth sugar quota was provided to the district. In Rajouri, 7300 qtls of APL quota of wheat has not been provided while out of 8500 qtl rice just 3300 qtl was provided. The sugar quota was nearly 30 percent less. In Poonch district, 30 to 40 percent shortage of quota was projected by local CAPD authorities. In Udhampur, out of full quota of 5800 qtl rice 2000 qtl were provided and against the demand/ quota of 10,000 qtl just 4000 qtl was provided. Just 1500 qtl sugar was issued against the quota of 3500 qtls. For BPL quota 4700 qtl rice were released but 3567 quota wheat was not released. In Doda, against the full quota of 26000 qtl ration including wheat and rice, just 6600 qtl was released till now during this month. Similar is the position in all other districts not only in Jammu province but also in Kashmir, the sources added.
Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Ch Mohd Ramzan when contacted admitted that due to non-availability of sufficient funds with the department this month, the problem has been experienced. Mr Ramzan said the funds were made available to the department late, therefore, full quota of ration could not be lifted. Now, the funds have been released by the Finance Department and the supply would be made available to all the uncovered areas. He claimed that people will have no problem within next couple of days.
The CAPD Minister further claimed that this has not happened for the first time, as similar problem is faced every year in the month of March and April. When asked what was the solution to over come this problem, the minister said it all depends on the availability of advance money because, FCI has refused to credit facility. Earlier, it used to provide food grains to State on credit also but it has stopped this practice.
A senior official in the CAPD when contacted said that due to delay in release of funds by Finance Department the people have suffered. He said against the funds of Rs 17 crore for Jammu division, just Rs 7 crore were made available in the month of March. It was not possible to cover the entire region and all the districts and tehsils with this amount. Moreover there was liability of over Rs 100 crore of sugar contractors/ millers and some funds were now released for ensuring further supply. Over Rs 22 cr liability of FCI was also pending and they demand money in advance from the CAPD. He also pointed out that old dirty practice of `Parchi’ system of legislators/ VIPs for issuance of sugar/ ration in bulk for marriages/ functions of the favourites also affects the supply position.
He further disclosed that against the full quota of 57000 qtl APL rice quota in Jammu province, just 19000 qtl was made available in March, against 42000 qtl rice quota of BPL category, just 28000 qtl was released and for AAY category just 12000 qtl out of 19000 qtl was provided. Similarly, out of 96000 quintal quota of wheat of APL in Jammu, 45000 qtl was released, out of 39000 qtl wheat quota of BPL category, just 12,000 qtl was sanctioned while there was no much problem in sugar quota in many areas.
However, Director CAPD Jammu G S Chib when contacted claimed that there was delay in release of funds for this month. Some labour and transport problem was also faced by the department. He hoped that funds are being made available within a day or two and the supply would be started soon for the remaining areas. Mr Chib said better supply was ensured in Jammu urban areas but now rural areas are also being covered within two-three days. The shortage would be overcome, Mr Chib maintained.
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