Vikas Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 3: Despite ample availability of ration stock at fair price shops across Jammu, thousands of labourers working in the region have been left without their monthly food supplies due to ongoing issues within the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department.
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For over a month now, these migrant workers, mainly from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar have repeatedly returned empty-handed from fair price shops.
Dealers at these outlets have failed to provide clear explanations, leaving the affected individuals helpless, confused, and increasingly agitated.
Most of these labourers work on daily wages and are entirely dependent on subsidized ration for their survival. With no awareness of grievance mechanisms or Government helplines, they are unable to escalate the issue to higher authorities.
Their plight has sparked growing resentment, with many accusing the UT administration and CAPD authorities of gross negligence.
According to ration dealers in Jammu city, they have already deposited money for the ration stock, including allocations meant for the migrant labour population.
However, they claimed they have not received their stock for over a month.
“There is complete chaos. The officers responsible have failed to manage the situation efficiently,” one of the dealer alleged.
“We are facing the consumers’ anger daily, yet we don’t have the supply,” he said.
The situation is especially grim with the first half of the current month nearly over and basic items like ‘Atta’ (flour) still unavailable at many fair price shops.
Reports suggested that in some rural and semi-urban pockets, where these labourers are most dependent on Government-supplied food grains, the crisis is even more severe.
Many of these workers are now being forced to purchase food grains from the open market at inflated prices, exacerbating their financial strain amid rising inflation and stagnant wages.
Dealers in various areas also reported receiving only partial ration quotas, which has led to public outrage and heated altercations at ration depots.
When contacted, Director FCS&CA Jammu, Rift Kohli, acknowledged the crisis and explained that it stemmed from a “nationwide technical glitch” in the Public Distribution System (PDS) software, which had disrupted digital verification and supply across several States.
“This issue was not limited to Jammu and Kashmir. Labourers in other parts of the country were also affected,” she said.
The Director FCS&CA said, “The matter was promptly escalated to the Central Government, and thanks to their swift response, the issue has now been resolved.”
Kohli added, now the technical glitch has been identified and rectified, the department is working to restore regular supplies as quickly as possible.
“We are hopeful that within the coming days, all affected labourers will receive their pending ration without further disruption,” she assured.
Until then, however, thousands of families remain caught in uncertainty, caught between administrative apathy and a system not equipped to handle sudden disruptions, raising serious concerns about food security for the most vulnerable sections of society.
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