Terming Governor Administration responsible for implementing National Food Security Act (NFSA) in haste which invited public cry, Former Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said that PDP led government was thinking to implement this act with some amendments in order to make it more people friendly and whenever they will come in power in future they will make amendments in it in the interest of the people.Reacting to implementation of the act, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said that following statement of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on NFSA in last year December, the government was thinking to make some amendments in this act and then implement it on ground so that to make it more people friendly act. He said that Late Mufti had directed him to make some amendments in this act for implementation in this state and they had started deliberations in this regard but imposition of Governor rule blocked the way of implementing it with amendments.
Pointing towards large scale discrepancies in the database, Former Minister said that he had expressed his resentment and concern well before the time and had written a detailed letter in this regard to Governor NN Vohra and Chief Secretary by suggesting them not to implement this act in haste. He said that there are large scale errors in data base and one name has been entered 25 times in many cases besides administration has also violated its own order of 128 regarding inclusion and exclusion criteria. He said that Order No 128 of Government which was issued on December 4, 2015 has excluded all persons holding constitutional position, all Gazetted Officers or equivalent rank in Corporations/ Boards/ PSUs besides businessmen having business turnover of Rs 25 lakh per year and income tax payees of the slab @ 30 % or highest tax slab, but they have violated own order by making wrong entries and including excluded people in Priority and Non Priority category. He added that mis-categorization of beneficiaries, exclusion of rationees and imperfect data updation has created mis-givings and apprehensions among the masses smelling mis-handling and mis-management in the implementation of NFSA and for the same he had approached Governor administration well in time but his suggestion was set aside and the act has been implemented without rectifying data.
Terming NFSA as good act for people, Zulfkar said that some people are creating rumors against the act and he want to clear that the act is not bad. He said that this act is historic act as people 74 lakh people will start getting ration @ Rs 2 and Rs 3 but there was need of little amendment regarding its scale and they were thinking on it but administration was in haste due to reason better known to them.He said that he had already expressed concern over expected hue and cry by public because he was well aware about the fact that administration had taken it casual and not rectified errors in the data base. He added that if 15 lakh people have been doubly entered, it may deprive ration to equal number of people which was not real objective of implementing it.Assuring people to re-consider this act after formation of PDP government, Zulfkar Ali said that since they had already planning some amendments, there was no need to implement this in haste. He said that after formation of their government, they will reconsider the act and try to make it more people friendly. He said that the process of amendment remained in mid way due to demise of Former Chief Minister but whenever they will form government, they will make NFSA more people friendly.