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| DB asks CAPD to consider opening own fair price shops | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 19 : In order to end hoarding and profiteering in the state, a Division Bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CAPD) to give serious consideration to the opening of its own fair price shops in the state.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, the division bench comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Hasnain Massodi also directed government to give wide publicity to the prices of essential commodities across the state.
The direction was passed by the court after Advocate General M I Qadri stated that the prices of essential commodities were available online on the website. Even the price lists were being circulated in newspapers, he said.
"It should be known to public through television and radio that the fair price lists are available and can be downloaded and even cellphones could be used for checking the fair price.
Such a course would enable members of general public to have access to the information so that the profiteering and overcharging is given burial,' the court said.The price list, court said, should be highlighted and displayed on the television and be also announced on the radio.
Subsequently, it issued a direction to the television as well authorities (Doordarshan, Srinagar) to permit CAPD Department to publish and announce the price commodities."The process has to be displayed not only in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar, but at all other tehsil headquarters," the court said and directed that the status report be filled as it posted the case for further hearing in August.
The court also directed Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Deputy Director CAPD to identify 20 places so that the hoardings in Srinagar city were erected to display price commodities as fixed by the CAPD.
The SMC said that its Enforcement Wing is checking the market on regular intervals and has requested Senior Superintendent of Police to place the services of at least five security personnel along with vehicle at their disposal on rotational basis so that their services can utilized by accompanying with the Enforcement Wing of department as and when necessary. Advocate G M Wani, who has filed the PIL, expressed apprehension that only paper work is being done without achieving any substantial success on the ground. He also pointed out that the fair price, as fixed by the Committee comprising of the officers of CAPD Department, Voluntary Organizations and some NGOs, was not being adhered to and the sellers had been indulging in overcharging, profiteering and blackmarketing.
"We grant liberty to advocate Wani to bring before the court or before the authorities by giving detailed particulars so that suitable action against either by the Court or by the authority be initiated."
Meanwhile, in compliance to the orders by the Court, a status report has been filed by Deputy Commissioner Baramulla which shows that hoardings displaying the approved rate list have been installed at crowded places in every Tehsil headquarter of the district. Tehsil level flying squads have also been constituted to ensure that the commodities are sold at the approved rates.
Director, CA&PD also filed a status report, disclosing that his department had erected digital display boards which were functional and displaying the rates of essential commodities at the main gate of the Department and in the office complex of Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar. |
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