Ration shortage due to supply chain breakdown: Traders

Deepak Gupta, President TFWHNM interacting with media persons at Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh
Deepak Gupta, President TFWHNM interacting with media persons at Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 3: Traders Federation Ware House-Nehru Market (TFWHNM) today blamed JK UT administration for the shortage of food grains in Jammu and other districts of UT.
Federation said that the supply chain breakdown during this lockdown caused shortage of ration in Jammu and other districts.
Deepak Gupta, President of the Federation while addressing a press conference today said that the lockdown was imposed last year as well and for a long period, but there was no shortage of ration but this time wholesale grain mandies were not allowed to open in lockdown. On the other side retail grocery shops remained open from 6 AM to 10 AM and people also buy essential commodities beyond their requirement just because of apprehensions of lockdown extension. This was the main reason of shortage. Retailers did not get supplies for four continuous days and that is why we are facing shortage, he added.
Deepak Gupta said that a day after the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha appealed to Market Associations to voluntarily stagger schedules to reduce crowds, Traders Federation Ware House-Nehru Market Jammu curtailed its market’s working hours from 9 am to 6 pm. Federation was the first to announce weekend lockdown from April 24 for four weeks. “We were supposed to open our shops from Monday but administration did not allow us to open shops”, he said.
He appealed to LG and Divisional Commissioner Jammu to allow the wholesale grain mandies to operate five days in a week so that the proper supply chain of essential commodities can be maintained.
Munish Mahajan, Senior Vice President, Abhimanyu Gupta, Junior Vice President, Sham Lal Langer, General Secretary, Vishal Gupta, Secretary and Amit Gupta, Cashier were also present during the press conference.