STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In a review meeting of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department chaired here on Wednesday by Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Ahmad Khan, the performance and future targets for the department were discussed. Advisor stressed on reducing the numbers of intermediaries in the supply chain from Food Corporation of India (FCI) to consumers. He asked the officers that besides ensuring reduction in transportation cost deliver food grains speedily to the consumers.
The meeting was attended by Secretary FCS&CA, Simrandeep Singh; Controller Legal Meteorology, Mohammad Akbar Wani; Director FCS&CA, Kashmir, Bashir Ahmad Khan and Director FCS&CA, Jammu, Jitender Singh. Advisor enquired about stock position of ration, LPG and Subsidized Kerosene Oil (SKO) to be sent to the snow bound areas. He asked the officers to look for stocking of these supply items locally or provide them to the beneficiaries at the time of arrival of stocks before the onset of winter. Advisor Khan, while reviewing the Aadhaar seeding of ration cards, asked the officers to use the local vernacular media to reach out to the consumers and make them aware about the benefits of the same. Advisor was informed that more than 90% of Aadhaar seeding of Ration Cards has already been achieved and department is mulling to provide ration to only those individuals whose Aadhaar numbers are seeded. Advisor was further informed that in order to achieve zero balancing of food grains at godowns the department is ensuring that the previous balance is added to the new supply which ensures lifting of food grains that are actually demanded and utilized on ground. He was also informed that after the completion of Aadhaar seeding the bogus individuals and ration cards would be weeded out that would further enhance this process. Advisor was made aware that the department is shortly going to install CCTV cameras for surveillance at all the major godowns as the process has already been taken in hand in the capital cities. It was disclosed in the meeting that the ration distribution would be done exclusively through PoS machines. Moreover, the process of 100% electronic transactions in future would ensure that no quantity of food grain is sold in black market.
Advisor asked the department to look into the possibility of distribution of SKO through PoS system also.
Advisor asked the officials to ensure that administrative inspections are done till the end of January next year and also issue calendar for the culmination of physical verification of establishments. Advisor asked the officials to closely monitor the prices of food items in the market and carryout inspections and checks more often. He asked them to make it sure that food items are sold only at fixed rates and take actions against the black marketers and illegal profiteers. The department of Legal Meteorology was asked to increase their activities to districts also.
