Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 30: Taking cognizance of the difficulties being faced by the residents of Jammu city and other adjoining areas of Gandhi Nagar constituency, former Minister and senior Congress leader, Raman Bhalla today said that it is a matter of serious concern that the residents of Jammu city have to face such a huge problem pertaining to ration supply in their areas.
Addressing workers’ meeting in Gandhinagar constituency here today, Bhalla said that the complaints have been received from inhabitants of many areas that they are not being issued ration commodities from their respective Government ration depot. Bhalla also said that the ration quota has not been released by the CAPD Department despite depositing money with the department for the ration quota, but the ration supply in the whole Jammu city is totally held up due to unknown reason.
Congress leader further stated that ration card holders are not being issued ration commodities as per specific scale fixed by CAPD Department. He said despite several communiqués to the authorities concerned, no action had been initiated against delinquent officials and unscrupulous ration dealers who were causing huge loss to the State exchequer besides depriving bonafide beneficiaries and other BPL persons of the legitimate right to subsidize ration and food supplies.
Lambasting the Coalition Govt for failing to discharge its primary function of providing ration to the people, Bhalla said since the PDP-BJP Government had taken over, it had derailed the PDS and created a mess besides the unprecedented hike in prices, which had made the ration beyond the reach of common people. He pointed out that the price hike of Rs 5 per kg on atta and rice besides the reduction of sugar quota in the PDS supply had already served a severe blow to the people, he said.
Bhalla claimed that while FCI is providing food grains to Jammu and Kashmir on old rates, the State Government has suddenly increased the rates of ‘atta’ by 62 % and rice by 50 % without making any public announcement.
Bhalla regretted that the rates of ration being given under Mufti Mohd Sayeed Scheme (MMSS) in the State have been increased from existing Rs 7.80 to Rs 13 per kg and that of rice from Rs 10 per kg to Rs 15 per kg now. It clearly indicated that hapless consumers of the State have been made to shell out extra money to purchase ration from Govt depots and `fair price’ shops under the new PDP led Govt’s popular “Mufti Mohd Sayeed Scheme”.
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