Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 6: Even as fair price shops mushroomed across the Valley, there still are several areas such as the Dokalbal Wadoora Bala belt of Zaingair Sopore in north Kashmir where people are made to travel a distance to collect their monthly ration.
Due to the absence of a ration ghat in their area, the residents said that the elderly including that of women are left with no option but to travel miles even as they have requested the administration to address the issue, but nothing has been done so far.
“We do not have a dedicated ration ghat in the area and due to that we are facing immense difficulties especially the women and elderly,” Ghulam Mohiuddin, a resident said.
He said that the residents have to walk around 3 kilometres through orchards as the area also lacks effective road connectivity. “We have been raising the issues that we are facing from time to time but nothing has been done so far in this regard,” he said.
The residents said that in the modern age, the area is lacking almost all the basic facilities with the absence of ration ghat adding to their miseries. “Being elderly, I have to walk distance to reach the ration ghat; we have raised this demand to the Administration, but to no avail; they do not even pay heed to our issues,” one of the ladies said.
She added that at times they reach the ration ghat for the collection of ration and find out that the depot is closed. “We end up coming back without collection of ration and walking kilometres; the authorities need to take up our matter and resolve the same without any delay,” the residents said.
Officials said that the area has a meagre population and does not qualify to have a separate ration ghat. “The establishment of the fair price shops has been barred and once that is resumed, we will be covering the areas that have remained uncovered so far which will include the area in focus as well,” the officials said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel