STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today chaired a meeting to review the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA), Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) and providing additional food-grains at 2 Kg per soul to the people belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Priority Sector Households (PHSS) category.
The minister was informed that against an allocation of 8,15,678 quintal food-grains for all the districts of Jammu division from January to April, 2016 the CAPD has distributed about 8,64,977 quintals of ration among the consumers.
The meeting was informed that there were minor hiccups while switching over from Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) to National Food Security Act (NFSA), but the department has taken immediate remedial measures and it is working relentlessly to ensure hassle-free supply of food grains in the state.
The Minister directed the concerned to ensure proper and adequate supply of ration to the consumers and said that concerted efforts should be made to streamline the system and avoid inconvenience to the people. Regarding the issue of procurement of sugar for distribution in the state, it was informed that the sugar contract expired in the month of October last year following which the Government invited bids through e-tendering for procurement of sugar. However, the Purchase Committee reached a consensus that the rates quoted by the qualified bidders were not acceptable and the department invited fresh bids for the procurement of sugar on 9 May 2016.
Regarding implementation of NFSA the minister said that the DDCs were directed to prepare accurate data under NFSA and check that no genuine beneficiary is left out.
The Minister directed Director CA&PDD, Jammu/Kashmir to ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution of food grains in the state. He warned that anyone found indulging in pilferage or black marketing of ration will not be spared and criminal action would be initiated against them
Director Finance CAPD department and other senior officers of the department were also present in the meeting.
