The Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Information Department, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today reviewed the functioning of Food, Civil Services and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Legal Metrology Department (LMD) and Department of Information and Public Relation (DIPR) of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts, here at Dak Bungalow, Anantnag.The meeting was attended by District Development Commissioner (DDC) Anantnag, Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Director FCS&CA, Mr. Nisar Ahmad Wani, Joint Controller Legal Metrology Mr. Amar Singh, ADDC Anantnag, ADC Pulwama and ADC Shopian, Deputy Director Information (PR), Assistant Director FCS&CA and District Information Officers of Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian, TSO and other officers of legal metrology.The concerned officers apprised the Minister with the performance of the FSC&CA department. It was given out that in Anantnag, the total population benefitting from National Food Security Act (NFSA) is 9,04,666 and the number of priority households (PHH) is 6,34,261 while as the number of PHH in Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam are 350448, 167558 and 256699 respectively. The minister was also informed about the number beneficiaries under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES).During the meeting, the Minister directed the Assistant Directors (ADs) to hire the private vehicles for lifting of food grains at a depreciation hiring rate of 15% in case State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) fails to provide the requisite number of trucks.Meanwhile, the minister also directed the ADs to ensure the lifting of all the food grains under NFSA and MMSFES is completed by 7th of this month so that timely distribution of rations is ensured.
Keeping in view holy month of Ramadhan, the minister announced an additional quota of one kg of sugar per household, besides, the quota of atta for next five months shall also be doubled with the commensurable decrease in rice allocation. The Minister stressed on distribution of the food grains on quarterly basis.Following the reports about the pilferage of kerosene oil, the Minster directed the District Development Commissioners to constitute committees for the purpose and submit the reports in a time bound manner. “Consumer is more important and his satisfaction is the priority of the department”, said the minster. In this regard, he directed for distribution of ration cards on fast track basis, and asked the concerned DDCs to monitor the process. Besides, he called for intensified market checking on regular basis for preventing food adulteration, profiteering and black marketing.The Assistant Directors have been authorized to engage the technical staff on temporary basis so that the digitization process is completed. Besides, he also called for online allocation of rations to different districts and directed the Director FCS&CA to take necessary measures in this regard.The DDC Anantnag was directed to identify a patch of 70 acres of land along railway track for construction of LPG and petrol depot in the district.Choudhary Zulfkar Ali directed the DDCs to ensure that no petrol pump comes up in the vicinity of populated areas.The Minister also underscored the need of making the public distribution system more effective, efficient and prompt. He said that through new fair price shops the department is embarking on the path of privatization, digitization and automation. He said that NFSA and MMSFES have to be implemented in a better way and the parking of food grains has to be discouraged.While reviewing the functioning of the DIPR in the district, the Minister directed the officers of the department to project the achievements and developments under different sectors. Besides, he called for innovation and development of positive public relations.