Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Tribal Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today inaugurated Working Standard Laboratory of Legal Metrology Department at Kathua constructed at the cost of Rs. 66 lakh.The Minister, while speaking on the occasion, said the Legal Metrology Department has been entrusted with a noble responsibility of safeguarding the interests of the consumers and it is our prime concern to see that all schemes in this regard are implemented in letter and spirit.“The objective of LMD is to safeguard the interests of the consumers by ensuring that goods bought by them have adequate quality and quantity as claimed by the manufacturers,” the Minister said, adding, the laboratory will ensure standardization in measurements to the trading community and people of the district.MLA, Rajiv Jasrotia was also present on the occasion.Underscoring the importance of PDS in ensuring availability of food grains to the people at affordable prices, the Minister said under the stewardship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, the department of FCS&CA has brought transparency, accountability and efficiency in its working. Rice and flour are being distributed among the beneficiaries at meager rates, he added.
The Minister said issuance of fresh ration cards, digitization of data, sanctioning of new Fair Price Shops, introduction of electronic weighing scales, linking ration tickets with Aadhaar, tracking made mandatory through GPS installed on commodities transporting vehicles, vigilance and monitoring committees constituted at village level to monitor distribution of food grains/kerosene oil are some of the important steps taken by the department for streamlining ration supply in the state.The Minister stressed on creating permanent procurement centers at Kathua and directed the Deputy Commissioner to identify land for establishing six procurement centers. He also informed that this year 1.5 lakh MT paddy has been procured in Jammu region for the benefit of farmers.Congratulating all the stakeholders for achieving 70 per cent coverage under PMUY in J&K, the Minister said that efforts need to be streamlined for 100 per cent penetration of this scheme so that left outs can be accommodated and benefit of the scheme can be percolated to the needy people. He directed the DC to immediately submit a list of left out PMUY beneficiaries so that they can be covered under the scheme at the earliest.
Later, the Minister chaired a meeting to review the funds released and utilized during 2016-17 under SCA to TSP and stressed that the government is working out a comprehensive development plan for tribal population with a view to stop their distressed migration.He further said education, skill development, healthcare and their economic sustenance form the main features of the plan which would be preceded by a wide-ranging survey to assess the economic and social indicators of the community.MLA, Kathua demanded funds for improving road connectivity to Jarai Gujjar Basti, hand pumps for all nomadic habitations and electrification of rural hamlets. He also raised demand of new ration depots, fair price shop and inclusion of left out beneficiaries under PMUY scheme.After reviewing achievements under various programmes and schemes, the Minister said the government would construct a Girls hostel at Kathua and directed the DC to identify the land for the same. He also announced one cluster model village for the district for which MLA was entrusted to identify 4-5 villages where majority of the population is tribal and an amount of Rs 10 Crore for that purpose has been earmarked.He directed the DC to prepare list of population of Schedule Tribe communities in the district with the details of infrastructure and basic facilities available, Nomadic, Migratory population in each district indicating the land holding by them and the status of land to negate conflict with nomadic populace. He also sanctioned Rs. 20 lakh for enabling PHE water supply to village Gajrade, BaliaTalai and Purana Pind.DC Kathua, Rohit Khajuria, SSP Kathua, Suleman Choudhary, Director FCS&CA Jammu, R.A Inqalabi, Controller Legal Metrology, R.K Katoch, Director Tribal Affairs, Jt. Controller LMD, district officers and officers of LMD, FCS & CA besides public in large number were present on the occasion.