Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (FCS&CA) & Tribal Affairs, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, today asked the department to utilize the fleet of Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) for transportation of food grains from FCI depots to departmental godowns across the state.The Minister said this during a meeting held with the officers of JKSRTC and FCS&CA department to discuss issues related to transportation of food grains in the State.Vice Chairman,JKSRTC, Haji Parvez Ahmed, Commissioner Secretary FCS&CA, Mehraj-ud-Din Khan, Director FCS&CA, Jammu, Ch Rashid AzamInqalabi, Managing Director, JKSRTC Mir Afroz, Financial Advisor FCS&CA Zia Qazi, Assistant Director Trade & Store, representative of the Finance Department besides other senior functionaries of the concerned departments attended the meeting.During the meeting, the Minister was informed that 450 vehicles are available with the J&K SRTC. The Minister instructed JKSRTC authorities to provide adequate transportation with efficient, modern mechanisms including GPS so that real time location of the vehicles carrying food grains can be tracked.
Ch Zulfkar stressed upon the officers to ensure cent percent procurement, lifting and distribution of food grains in all locations so that the consumers do not suffer on this account. He said the Government of India is strictly monitoring the distribution of ration online under NFSA and asked the department to ensure strict adherence to the timelines.The Minister directed Financial Advisor FCS&CA to project all pending liabilities of JKSTRC lying with the department for its early disposal.The Minister further directed to constitute a committee comprising Commissioner Secretary FCS&CA, Commissioner Secretary Finance, Secretary Transport, Director FCS&CA Jammu, Director FCS&CA Kashmir, Managing Director JK SRTC and General Manager Transport Department to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with terms and conditions for supplying of vehicle and freight charges in light of the Cabinet Decision and State Road Transport Corporation Act 1950. The Committee will be responsible to revise the freight rates strictly as per the distance and genuineness of the transportation facility and discuss all modalities for smooth lifting of food grains all over the state. The Committee shall submit the report within 20 days, he added.Meanwhile, the Minister also directed JKSRTC authorities to ensure full lifting of food grains for this month by April 13, 2018.