Suhail Rather
Srinagar, July 02(KNS): The Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department in north Kashmir’s Bandipora has once again made headlines due to its alleged mismanagement and wrongdoings.
Insiders said that the private Fair Price shop dealers are operating government sale centers while the concerned government storekeepers are turning a blind eye towards consumers, which constitutes an illegal and unethical practice by the department.
"Hamals (Labourers) under the Minimum Wages Guarantee Act are supposed to be involved solely in the loading and unloading of food grains. However, they are directly engaged in government stores and performing duties akin to storekeepers, particularly in Hajin and Sumbal. This represents a serious negligence on the part of the department," they said.
"Since 2014, the department has seen no significant transfers of employees within the district, with only a few selected individuals being transferred regularly," a source said, adding that this raises questions about the department's transparency and fairness in its transfer policies.
"Despite having sufficient staff, since 2020, employees who were posted to the Govt. stores were given additional charges in Tehsil supply offices. This move aims to manipulate official data by improperly adding and deleting beneficiaries and changing ration card categories unnecessarily," another local said.
This manipulation the locals said is evident from online data, and consumers have frequently lodged complaints regarding this issue.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
They further said that the online ration card data of government employees are being manipulated at some centers by putting their family members under BPL and PHH categories to avail free rations from them.
Another source said that the Pradhan Mantri Food Supplementation scheme (PMFS), designed to provide an extra 10 kilograms of ration at Rs. 25 per kg to PHH category beneficiaries, is being exploited through black marketing, where it is sold at Rs. 3400 per quintal.
Furthermore, several sub-centers of Govt. sale depots & FP shops within a one-kilometer radius in Kashmir were to be closed 2 years ago, including those in Bandipora. However, recently, an internal adjustment was illegally reopened in the Nathpora area of kaloosa district and when Model code of conduct was active without any formal or official order.
In December 2022, this reporter has learnt that another PMGKAY scheme was implemented for the year 2023, where consumers in far-flung areas were supposed to receive three months' ration free at once during winter months. However, in the district, they were charged higher rates for the same ration and later Govt issued orders to refund the same amount but storkeepers and fair price shop dealers did not repay that amount back.
As this reporter tried to meet the Assistant Director Food, he was not available
Director Food Supplies and Consumers was not available for Comments.(KNS)