Bring more transparency, accountability in distribution of food-grains: Advisor Kumar

SRINAGAR, JULY 11:Advisor to Governor K Vijay Kumar Wednesday chaired a meeting to review the functioning of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department and implementation of Electronic Public Distribution System (ePDS) project in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary FCS&CA Dr Abdul Rashid, Director FCS&CA Kashmir Nisar Ahmad Wani, Director FCS&CA Jammu RA Inquilabi , Controller Legal Metrology RK Katoch and other senior officers of the department.
The advisor reviewed the stock, supply position, distribution system, grievance redressal system and other related matters. He appreciated the FCS&CA Department for its performance in ensuring uninterrupted supply of ration to the consumers especially in far flung areas during adverse weather conditions.
He stressed on bringing more transparency and accountability in the system besides constituting an internal vigilance system to ensure transparency in the department. He also urged to maintain quality of food grains distributed by the department and said there can be no compromise with the quality of food and asked the officials to have regular checks and tests of the food grains to ensure that quality ration is provided to the consumers.
Vijay Kumar also underscored the importance of Electronic Public Distribution System and online improving the real time online Grievance Redressal Portal system. It was given out in the meeting that union government has launched a scheme, “End to End Computerization of TPDS operations” and the objectives of the scheme is to address and check weak grievance redressal and social audit mechanism, fake and bogus ration cards, leakages and diversion of food grains and inclusion and exclusion of errors.
It was given out in the meeting that under component II of the E-PDS, the department has installed 6401 PoS machines at Government Sale Centres and Fair Price Shops while 6850 functionairies including Assistant Directors, TSOs, Store Keepers and Dealers have been trained in handling operations of the PoS devices.
The meeting was informed that the department provides 62590 MTs of ration to 119.73 Lakh souls under National Food Security Act which include 74.14 lakh souls under Priority Household (PHH) and 12 AAY souls while under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) the department provides 2.92 MTs to 82.41 lakh souls.
Officials further informed the meeting that state government provides 500 grams of sugar per soul per month to 74.15 lakh PHH category population of state out of its own resources at the rate of Rs 25 per Kilogram and that sugar is being procured through e- tendering on 6-monthly basis while the deficit amount between the procurement cost and selling cost is borne by the state government from its own budget. It was given out that there is annual requirement of 43860 MTs for 74.15 souls of the state.
With regard to the winter dumping in remote and inaccessible areas, meeting was informed that the department for the district of Leh 16821.17 Quintals of rice, 1014.16 quintals of sugar and 109600 LPG cylinders have been supplied for winter stocking. In district Kargil, the department has released 18540.35 quintals of rice 1535.27 quintals of sugar and 14061 LPG cylinders for winter stocking. The department has also stocked 1212.78 quintals of rice, 97.96 quintals of sugar and 16000 litres of kerosene for Gurez valley 3250.42 quintals of rice have also been released for winter stocking in Kupwara border areas.