Avtar Bhat
jammu, June 23: The Central Government’s decision to cut the subsidy on consumer items being supplied to State Government from this year has left it with no alternative but to increase the charges on the quota of food grains and other consumer items being supplied to Amarnath yatris and langers to be run by various philanthropists enroute to holy cave.
In this regard a notification has been issued by Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Kashmir vide his order number DDS/ ANG/44/2013-14/515-17 dated 6.6.2013 under which revised rate list was issued for the food grains and other consumer items like rice, flour, sugar, K Oil and LPG to be supplied for Amarnath yatra from Nunwan to holy cave.
According to official sources the State Government was constrained to take the decision and increase the rates after the stoppage of subsidy on food items by Union Government from this year for the holy Amarnath yatris.
Sources said that State Government was left with no option but to increase the prices of food grains and other consumer items supplied to holy Amarnath yatra after Central Government stopped entire subsidy on food grains from this year to be supplied for holy Amarnath yatra and other quota.
“The Centre asked us to take the stock on economic rates after cutting the subsidy and we were left with no option but to increase the rates which are much higher than that of subsidized rates”, he added.
As per the notification the rate for per quintal of rice at base camp Nunwan in Anantnag district of South Kashmir has been fixed as Rs 2800 per quintal while the same for common consumers of APL category in the State is Rs 1100 per quintal. Likewise per quintal of rice at Chandanwari will cost Rs 2850 while it will cost Rs 4770 at Sheshnag.
The rate for per quintal of flour has been fixed at Rs 1900 at Nunwan as per the notification, Rs 2100 at Chandanwari and Rs 3950 at Sheshnag when the actual rate is Rs 800 per quintal under APL category.
Likewise the rate for K Oil has been fixed Rs 71 per litre at Nunwan, Rs 73 at Chandanwari and Rs 92 at Sheshnag while the actual rate of the same is Rs 17.50 per litre.
The rate of commercial LPG per cylinder as per the notification has been fixed at Rs 1670 at Nunwan, Rs 1675 at Chandanwari and Rs 2516 at Sheshnag.
The sugar will be supplied at the rate of Rs 3300 per quintal at Nunwan, Rs 3350 at Chandanwari and 5270 per quintal at Sheshnag while the actual rate of the same is Rs 1350 per quintal under APL category.
This rate will be much more higher at Panchtarni and holy cave while at Baltal it will be at par with Nunwan, sources said.
The decision has drawn flake and various organizations have criticized the Government for cutting the subsidy on the food grains and other consumer items supplied to holy Amarnath pilgrims from this year.
Criticizing the decision the representatives of various social and voluntary organizations which were organizing the langers at various places from Lakhanpur to holy cave as a social service said it will put an extra burden on them.
The VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena which also run langers for holy Amarnath yatra termed the Union Government’s decision totally unfortunate saying this way it will be difficult for the social and voluntary organizations to install langers for the pilgrims.
They said earlier the Government was supplying food grains at BPL rate to langer people or yatris through PDS system but this year suddenly rates were increased three times which is unfortunate.
Confirming the rates were increased for food grains and other commercial items Yash Paul Sharma who heads the Shiv Shakti Vaishno Sewa Mandal and runs a langer during the Amarnath yatra every year at Base Camp Jammu said this way it will be difficult to run the langers for yatris.
INTUC leader P N Pandita while expressing his concern and dismay over the decision urged the Government to revoke its notification and supply food grains to yatris on subsidized rates.
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