NGOs, voluntary bodies come to aid of needy
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 9: Despite Union Government’s claim to provide three months ration free to BPL families in the country affected due to on- going lockdown necessitated by the spread of Global COVID-19, 60 percent people in J&K have not even received the two months normal ration given at the rate of Rs 3 per kgs to BPL families till date.
According to sources, the Government had announced ration for the months of March and April for the people of J&K UT under BPL and Non Priority House Hold Scheme but the same has only been distributed to 40 percent families till date in Jammu region and 70 percent in Kashmir valley while the three month supply of free ration announced by GoI for the poor and down-trodden has not been lifted by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department (FCS&CA) so far, with the result many poor families including migrant laborers are at the verge of starvation.
Sources said the situation could have turned worst for these poor families had not some social and voluntary organizations come forward in distribution of free ration among them for last over one week. But there is a big chunk of people across Jammu region who still have not been provided ration either by Government or voluntary bodies, sources added.
Sources said the situation is grave among migrant laborers living in Juggis and the local people under BPL who were eking out their living by working on daily basis like vendors, show cobblers Rehri, Phari movers etc. Though the Government agencies and some social and voluntary organizations like Sewa Bharti, Red Cross and others have provided some sort of help to the people living in major Juggis spreading over vast area in Jammu and its outskirts but the laborers living in a cluster of five to six Juggis in different areas as well as local people living under BPL category are confronted with food scarcity problem after they lost their earning since the lockdown announced on March 24 due to spread of COVID-19, sources added.
Realising the gravity of the situation some people in Jammu have framed WhatSap groups on war footing to provide immediate help to the people in need by supplying them ration and other eatables, sources said, adding they too have covered hundreds of families which had remained neglected so far.
However, to feed these large number of families can’t be done by social and voluntary organizations alone without the support of Government as people in various localities are crying for ration, sources said, adding the administration needs to take extra measures to help such families so that they don’t face starvation in view of prolonged lockdown.
Sources said there are apprehensions that the problem may aggravate in case the lockdown is extended by more days as whatever ration would be left with the people will get exhausted and under these circumstances the Government has to take extra ordinary steps in arranging ration for such BPL families.
The problem is prevalent in almost all districts of Jammu as well as in various parts of Kashmir valley, sources said. In Jammu, besides the Juggis, the BPL people like unorganised workers living in Bari Brahmana, Krishna Nagar, Mazdoor Basti, Gole Pulli, Talab Tillo, Shahzadpur, all Valmiki colonies in Jammu i.e Qasim Nagar, Bahu Fort, Pathiale Chak, New Plot, Pacca Talab back side of Dental College, Jammu, Preet Nagar , Kabir Colony, Janipur etc have not been provided free ration till date.
Sources said likewise in various districts of Jammu like Samba, Kathua, Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch etc every family living under BPL or the migrant laborers have not been provided the ration so far. Even the Government normal sale of ration to BPL families and PHH families under AAY scheme for two months of March and April has not been supplied to all families in the UT, sources added.
While in Jammu region 40 percent families have been touched under this category and in Kashmir 70 percent families have been touched.
When contacted, Director Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Jammu, Jatinder Singh said that they have provided ration under AAY to over 40 percent families in Jammu at the rate of Rs 3 per kg rice and Atta while the wheat has been given at Rs 2 per kg. He said in four to five days they may cover remaining families and the supply of free ration will begin from April 18 or 19.
However, Director FCS & CA Kashmir, Bashir Ahmed Khan said that the normal sale of ration for two months will be completed within three or four days and after that they will lift the free ration from FCI to be supplied among people.
The sources said that there are hundreds of such families in the UT who due to lockdown are not in a position to afford Rs 3 kg ration supplied by the Government and they need to be provided ration free of cost immediately to feed themselves till lockdown is over.
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