JAMMU: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State Spokesperson, Prof. Virender Gupta expressed great concern on the functioning of ration distribution system, particularly in Jammu province and highlighted the issues those are agitating the public and asked the concerned authorities for the early resolution.
Addressing a press conference, Prof. Virender said that the people are not getting their due ration from the concerned ration shops for the last few months and added that Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department has failed in its duty in supplying ration, particularly the sugar to the shops on regular basis.
He also pointed out the discrimination being met to people of Jammu city and some of the other cities in Jammu province, where only 25 Kg of ration is supplied per family against 35 Kg supplied in other cities including those of Valley.
The spokesperson asked the government that instead of supplying 35 Kg of wheat per person, the State Government should take steps to supply wheat flour (Atta), after getting the wheat grinded on its own level, under the new scheme NFSA, as the supply of wheat in place of Atta shall put people to great inconvenience. Gupta further added that in Jammu province hardly about 25-30 per cent are identified under BPL category, whereas about 90 per cent of the families in the Valley are pleased under this category and said that this discrepancy has occurred because of the wrong survey conducted to identify the BPL families.
He demanded that new survey be conducted to ascertain the left over BPL families.
He said that the dealers in Jammu province are facing great hardships in getting their due commission back in the matter of discharging their duties as ration dealer which takes months to get the same, which they pay along with advance paid to the department for the delivery of ration to their respective shops.
He asked the CAPD Department that the ration dealers should not be asked to deposit their commission with the advance that they pay for the supply of ration and the cost of the bags be collected only after the distribution of ration to the consumers.
BJP State Spokesperson Balbir Ram Rattan was also present in the press conference.