Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali on Saturday said the government is working on a plan envisaging empanelment of new mills to further enhance grinding capacity in the State.The Minister was chairing a meeting held to review the status of allocation and distribution of food-grains in Jammu province. The Minister said that around 1.25 lakh quintals of wheat is required to be ground every month but due to low capacity of grinding mills it becomes difficult to cater to the needs of the consumers. So, in this backdrop the government is mulling a plan to empanel new grinding mills in the state.In this regard, the Minister directed the concerned officers to take immediate steps for empanelment of new millers so that the consumers do not suffer on this account. He also stressed the need for increasing the grinding capacity of those mills that exclusively grind for Public Distribution System (PDS).
Zulfkar Ali also directed the accounts officers to deduct cost of gunny bags, lying with the mill owners, as per the rates fixed by finance department. He said it is the department’s property that is lying with mill owners, so the department should get revenue from it. Besides, the officers were also directed to reconcile the accounts with Food Corporation of India at an earliest.Taking a review of Mufti Mohammad Syed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES), the Minister directed the officers at all levels to ensure that this flagship programme is effectively implemented for larger interest of the consumers.The Minister directed the Director FCS&CA Jammu, G. S Chib to hold regular monthly review meetings and prepare a brief with details about procurement, allotment, and distribution.The Minister called for expediting tendering process by issuing the directives to go for e-tendering by end of the week for procurement of food grains. He asked the officers to finalize the tender notice by 26th of every month and ensure that the tendering process is completed in next 25 days.Secretary FCS&CA Shafiq Raina, Joint Director, FCS&CA Jammu, Assistant Directors, FCS&CA from various Jammu districts, Assistant Director Trade and Store, Assistant Director Mills besides other concerned officers attended the meeting.