Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, July 20: Pinning hope of ‘good days’, about 45 lakh people in J&K have a ‘bad news’. Their levy sugar quota provided through CAPD outlets, has been stopped from this month.
Not only this, the CAPD sugar will be provided only to the BPL/AAY (PHH) category people in the State and that too, at the rate of Rs 25 instead of Rs 13.50 per kg. This is the second blow of ‘sharp price hike’ to the J&K consumers in just one year. Earlier, in November 2016, the Government had raised the price of Atta from Rs 7.80 to Rs 13 and that of rice from Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg.
After the implementation of ‘Food Security Act’ in the J&K by the BJP-PDP Government, there has been no respite to the hapless consumers in the State from the ‘food scarcity’. While supply of sugar has been badly affected during last one and half year in view of delay in tenders and non-fixation rates with the contractors out-side the State, the supply of Atta too, specially in rural and semi urban areas witnessed shortage during this period.
While the top officers in the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs department claimed that this decision has been taken by the State Government after Central Government abruptly stopped subsidy on CAPD sugar, there is strong resentment among the people in the State against BJP led Modi Government and BJP-PDP Coalition in the State. They felt that this is the first step to close down all the CAPD ration depots in the State and virtually winding up of the FCS&CA department.
Official sources told the Excelsior that there are about 1.19 crore people getting ration through CAPD depots/ outlets. About 74 lakh have been registered in the category of PHH or in other words living Below Poverty Line (BPL) and fall in the category of poorest of the poor (AAY). Rest 45 lakh have been shown in the Non Priority House Hold (NPHH) category. So, this 45 lakh population has been denied the levy sugar supply in the entire State while 62 % of the State population which has been shown in BPL/AAY (PHH) category by the department, will continue to get levy sugar at the rate of Rs 25 per kg.
Interestingly, about 62 % BPL/AAY figures in the state, projected by the CAPD in its record may raise question mark on the procedure adopted and norms fixed by the Department to include people in this category and needs immediate scrutiny and probe by the team of officials from at least three other departments.
Commissioner/ Secretary FCS&CA Department, Shafiq Ahmed Raina when contacted claimed that a decision has been taken by the State Government to stop levy sugar supply to NPHH category people in the State after Central Government stopped providing subsidy on sugar. He said Government was facing severe burden after purchasing sugar at higher rates of about Rs 37-38 per kg and selling at the rate of 13.50 to the consumers. This subsidy has been stopped in all the States by the Centre.
Replying to question, Raina disclosed that in J&K, the Cabinet decided to continue sugar supply to PHH /BPL category from own resources. The rate has also been hiked to Rs 25 per kg but the scale will remain the same, that is 500 gm per soul. He said there are about 1.19 crore consumers registered with the department and 74 lakh will continue to get this benefit. Raina said with this also, the Government may face the burden of about Rs 40 crore annually. He disclosed that earlier the sugar quota of the State was 84,000 Mt ton but now it will be reduced.
Director, FCS&CA Jammu RA Inqlabi said that in Jammu province, a population of about 19.46 lakh would cease to get levy sugar from this month onwards from ration depots. He said about 32,08,660 people under NPHH will continue to get this benefit. The Director said there were rumours that each family would get one kg sugar only, but it is not so. The PHH people will get the sugar at the same scale of 500 gm per soul.
When asked how 62 % people have been shown in BPL/PHH category by the department, the Director said after implementation of Food Security Act, landless/ homeless families, orphans, nomads, labour class people, widows etc have also been included in this category. Therefore, the percentage has gone high.
Giving figures of Jammu quota of levy sugar, the Director CAPD said Jammu province was getting is 25,778 quintals of sugar every month but now the quota is being reduced to 16,043 quintals. He said district Jammu was getting monthly quota of 6975 qtls, Samba 1533 qtls, Kathua 2985 qtls, Udhampur 2667 qtls, Reasi 1536 qtls, Rajouri 3216 qtls, Poonch 2334 qtls, Doda 2,004 qts, Kishtwar 1128 qtls while Ramban 1396 qtls of sugar every month. He claimed that Central Govt has now stopped subsidy in all the States and State Government took the decision to stop the levy sugar for NPHH category from this month.
Meanwhile, sources in the department said that while the assurances of providing ration as per 2011 census of this Government have fallen flat, the public is deprived off even the old existing quota of ration. At present, they are getting hardly 50 % of their total allotted quota of ration whereas, in last about seven months, levy sugar has been provided to the public only twice or thrice. The Government has failed to ensure regular supply of sugar for one and half year. It is said to be going for fresh tenders again and again for the reason best known to the people at the helm of affairs.
With this attitude and new move 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 and going to stop it for huge population. They are being kept high and dry for essential supplies by Govt. The public is being forced to purchase the sugar from the open market. They said even dealers provide them sugar at the fag end of every month and many consumers remain without supply and their quota is pilfered.
The ration dealers in urban as well as semi-urban/ rural areas are generally complaining that concerned Assistant Directors/ Tehsil Supply Officers are not providing them full allotted (APL/BPL/AAY) quota of ration including sugar. They further alleged that even the pending quota of previous months has not been cleared. Despite strict instructions by the Minister concerned to use weighing machines, the quota is provided them every month from the stores without being weighed by the concerned storekeepers/ staff. Their carriage charges and commission has not been paid for the last about four to seven months.
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