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| J&K following best practices on PDS, says Akhoon | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sept 19: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir agrees to the mechanism for annual updating of BPL families and in this regard has already constituted District Level Committees headed by respective Deputy Commissioners for re-verification and updating of BPL families. So far as eligibility of BPL families or BPL persons is concerned, the J&K Government will prefer supply of food grains on the basis of household as it would be more convenient for distribution and assessment of requirements.
This was stated by the Minister for CAPD and Transport, Mr. Qamar Ali Akhoon at State Food Ministers conference at Tiruvananthanpuram, Kerala today. The Minister said that government of J&K would like to have the existing scale of 35 kg food-grains for BPL family be retained as against 25 kg proposed under the new Food Security Legislation as it would be injustice to the poor families.
He said that Government of J&K has reservation with regard to the total exclusion of APL category ration card holders under the proposed Food Security Law and such supply would be subject to availability of food grains. It should be kept in mind that a very large number of people fall under APL category and all are not actually economically well, the Minister said adding that J&K Government would suggest fixing of some economic criteria for APL as there would be substantial number of border-line cases which should not be left out.
On sub-categorization of BPL families, he said that since the sale price is proposed as Rs. 3 per kg for rice and Rs. 2 kg for wheat for BPL families which is presently meant for AAY, sub-categorization will have no relevance.
As regards, quantum of food subsidy on central issue prices of rice and wheat, the Minister said it is not possible to provide food grains at Central Issue Price (CIP) as J&K is a hilly State with the extreme climatic and geographical conditions, the State Government at present bears over lot of money as over head / carriage charges annually in addition to Hill Transport Subsidy admissible under Government of India norms and the Hill Transport Subsidy should also be retained for the time being.
On food security allowance, he said it should be the joint responsibility of the State and the Central Governments and not exclusively of State Government. This fund should be created on with GOI assistance on 90%: 10% as per the funding pattern for special category States, he added.
He said that J&K is one of the States which has always been deficit in agriculture production and there are scores of areas which remain snow bound for atleast 6-8 months and the administration has to make stocking for 12 months and the quantity has to be adjusted in the monthly allocation made by the Government of India to the State and this must be the situation in many other hilly States.
Mr. Akhoon said that connected with this issue is the outdated norm for allocation of food grains to the States, the allocations are being made by the Central Government on the basis of 2000 population of the States whereas it has increased substantially during the last 9 years. More over as the joint family system is giving way to nuclei family, there is a clamour for splitting of ration cards which increases the number of RTs, he added.
Mr. Akhoon said while the Central Government initiative is indeed laudable, there would be many teething problems for the States to implement the provisions of the proposed legislation on National Food Security and added that we should not be over-concerned but collectively formulate a common response and persuade Central Government to address our areas of concern so that the proposed legislation is implemented in letter and spirit for the betterment of the poor and needy people in all States.
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