Minister for Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali called on Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan who was on a visit to Jammu today.The Minister urged upon the Union Minister to reconsider the demand for additional quota of ration to the state on APL rates for implementation of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES). He also requested to look into the long pending demand of increase in state’s kerosene oil quota.Ch. Zulfkar Ali also discussed the issue of extending the benefits of funding under special category to J&K under end to end computerization of PDS operations under e-PDS on the pattern of North Eastern states. He also asked for central assistance for modernization of storage godowns in order to augment dumping storage capacity and remodelling /reconstruction of old godowns.
The Minister also projected the immediate need of central assistance on priority basis for compensating the loss incurred to laboratories, equipments, buildings and enforcement vehicles due to devastating floods occurred during September 2014.Ch. Zulfkar also sought financial assistance from the Union govt for establishing State Consumer Helpline, Consumer Welfare Fund, Adequate funds for testing of products, setting up of Retail Price Monitoring Cell (RPMC) and Infrastructure Development for District Consumer Fora.Responding to the projected issues, the Union Minister assured CAPD Minister that necessary measures would be initiated for modernization of the department in the state.