Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Information Department, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today said that government has proposed to establish ten LPG gas bottling plants and oil depots in twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri of Pir Panchal region.The Minister asked Deputy Commissioners to identify and acquire the required land for the installations which have great potential for economic uplift of the region.The Minister was speaking at meeting held to review the functioning of Food, Civil Services and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Legal Metrology Department (LMD) and Information and Public Relation (DIPR) department of Rajouri and Poonch districts.The meeting was attended by District Development Commissioner (DDC) Rajouri Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, DDC Poonch Tariq Ahmad Zargar, Director FCS&CA, Rashid Inquilabi, SDMs, Tehsildar of both districts Joint Controller Metrology legal metrology, Assistant Directors FCS&CA and District Information Officer TSOs and other officers of Legal Metrology.
The meeting was informed that in Rajouri the total population benefitting from National Food Security Act (NFSA) is 633389 souls and the number of priority households (PHH) is 339608 while as the number of PHH in Poonch are 295364 .The Minister was also informed that the number of beneficiaries under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) in Rajouri is nearly five lakh.The Minister said that there is no dearth of ration after implementation of National Food Security Act in the state and only thing needed is efficient distribution system which could be achieved with the coordination of local administrations.To stream line the distribution system of ration we had already set up district level monitoring authority (DLMA) and tehsil level monitoring authority (TLMA) to minimize the chance of pilferage, hoarding and profiting”” he said .
The minister stressed for proactive role of vigilance monitoring committees and other stakeholders to promote the concept of community participation in public distribution system.Expressing serious concern over reports of anti consumer practices, the Minister said consumers rights must be protected at every cost. “This needs focused attentions from concerned department and local administration specially in far flung areas where the chance of black marketing and uneven profiting is more “he added.Reviewing the working of the department, the Minister directed the Assistant Directors (ADs) to take up exercise of Adhaar seeding under missionary mode and complete it within ten days. He said it would greatly help in enforcing transparency at all levels .He further directed the officers to hire 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 vehicles.To check the pilferage of ration, the Minister stressed for keeping close check on fair price shops, ration depots.
Responding to the reports of the pilferage of kerosene oil, the Minster directed the District Development Commissioners to constitute committees under concerned SDMs and Tehsildars who shall submit the reports in a time bound manner for onward submission so that remedial measure are taken for further streamlining of the system.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.While reviewing the performance of legal metrology department, the Minister asked the officials to perform their duties with utmost sincerity and professionalism. He sought details of revenue realized during market checking.Referring to upcoming Eid-ul Fitr, the Minister directed for intensifying market checking to check overcharging and unfair trade practices in view of surge in usages of edibles and other related things. Meanwhile the minister asked the deputy commissioners to prepare a detailed report for strengthening and reviving of information department in twin districts.