Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD), Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali Monday said that Aadhar cards are not mandatory to apply for new ration card.While talking to KNS over phone, Zulfkar said that the people don’t need Aadhar cards to apply for new ration cards here as the department has not made it mandatory to come up with the Aadhar cards.“We will provide ration cards to the people whether they have Aadhar cards or not as the same is not necessary to apply for new ration cards. The government has decided to provide ration cards to even those people who don’t have ration cards,” he said.He said that they have informed officials in the department to don’t ask for the Aadhar cards to the people who will apply for a ration cards.Meanwhile, terming the protest incidents in Srinagar against CAPD department for announcing five kg ration per head as ‘unfortunate’, Zulfkar said that the people are being forced to protest against the government.
“The previous regime has miserably failed to implement such order, which will prove beneficial to the people due to which they are trying to create hindrance in our way,” he told KNS.While asking about the meeting with Union Food Minister, Ram vilas Paswan, Zaulfkar said that during the meeting the union food minister has assured him that the central government will provide a sufficient ration to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.He said that the issue of impure ration, which is being sent to Kashmir from Food Corporation of India (FCI) was also discussed in the meeting wherein Paswan has assured him that they will look into the matter at earliest. (KNS)