STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Stressing for making internal vigilance more vigilant and effective at all levels of the department, the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), Kuldeep Khoda asked the authorities of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department (FCS&CAD) to take adequate measures for plugging loopholes paving way for corruption and misappropriation, adding that most of the complaints the Commission is receiving are about misappropriation of ration, issuance of fake and double ration cards to consumers, defalcation of transportation charges, black marketing of kerosene oil, deception by flour mill owners and auction of gunny bags on compromised rates causing heavy financial loss to State Exchequer.
This was stated by the Chief Vigilance Commissioner while chairing an officers’ meeting convened to review the status of the corruption related complaints and RDAs (regular departmental actions) forwarded to FCS&CA Department by State Vigilance Commission (SVC) and Vigilance Organization (VO) from time to time for action.
Expressing discontent over slow disposal of RDAs, the CVC asked Secretary FCS&CA to ensure early reconciliation of records, pertaining to corruption related complaints and RDAs, with Vigilance Organization and directed him to inform the commission about the status by 15th December, 2016. He said that Commission recommends RDAs once the charges against the involved official are established after thorough investigation by Vigilance Organization.
Underlining need for early linkage of public distribution system with Aadhaar, the CVC said that it will go a long way in streamlining the public distribution system thereby plugging loopholes leading to corruption. He asked the officers to expedite Aadhaar Seeding Authentication Services to ensure early linking of public distribution system with Aadhaar.
He hoped that computerization and introduction of innovative technology will bring down complaints by a considerable extent.
Appreciating introduction of innovative techniques for checking pilferage, black marketing and misappropriation of ration, the CVC said that accountability and transparency need to be made more effective. He said installation of GPRS on the oil tankers being used for transportation of kerosene oil in Jammu region is good step but cautioned that officers monitoring the distribution should ensure that supply will reach to bona-fide consumers. He suggested introduction of GPR system in the vehicles transporting rice and other essentials all over the State to check misappropriation of carriage charges.
Referring to deceit resorted to by flour mill owners, the CVC pinpointed that qualitative wheat is, reportedly, being supplied by the department to flour mills for grinding but the mill owners in turn are supplying substandard flour in connivance with the officials of the department subsequently distributed among the consumers.
Earlier, the officers briefed the Commission about the status of the complaints and RDAs and the measures taken for streamlining the public distribution system, checking of misappropriation, black marketing of kerosene oil, distribution of fake and double ration cards besides steps for improving monitoring and service delivery system in the department.
The meeting was informed that 196 complaints and 22 RDAs have been forwarded to FCS&CA department for action, out of which 14 complaints stand disposed of, 21 are under process so far, while record of some of the complaints has been damaged in 2014 floods.
Among others, Vigilance Commissioners, Dr. R.K Jereath and Gous-ul-Nisa Jeelani, Secretary, FCS&CA Shafiiq Ahmad Raina, Director FCS&CA, Kashmir, Tasqduq Jeelani, Director FCS&CA, Jammu, G.S Chib, SSP Vigilance (P) Javed Matoo, Additional Secretaries of SVC and FCS&CA besides
other senior officers from SVC and FCS&CA were present in the meeting.
