Bivek Mathur
Jammu, Jan 9: At a time when states like Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Union Territory like Pudducherry have adopted a policy of dissemination of information through SMS alert regarding food grain dispatch/availability at FPS, Jammu and Kashmir government under Omar Abdullah is yet to implement Union Government's policy of Digitization of PDS records.
As per a document in possession of Early Times, Union Government had directed all the states including Jammu and Kashmir to complete this process in a time bound manner but Jammu and Kashmir has so far failed to implement the project in the given time and has sought extra time from central government for the same.
The documents further read that the Union Government has been providing financial and infrastructural support to the states for the implementation of first phase of the project which includes digitization of ration cards/beneficiary and other databases, computerization of supply chain management, setting up of transparency portal and grievance redressal mechanism and the same has been completed in most of the States as well as Union Territories including Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Punjab, Pudducherry, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh whereas the Jammu and Kashmir Government is moving at snail’s pace to execute the first phase of the project.
Call centre/Toll free helpline number of Public Distribution has been established in the state but it has also proved to be a damp squib for the National Conference-Congress government as the same has failed to bring in any transparency in the system due to unavailability of online Grievance redressal system in the state. Minister for CAPD Choudhary Ramzan first answered to the call of Early Times but when asked about the failure of J&K to implement central government scheme disconnected the call and to repeated calls of this paper, he did not answer. |
