CPI(M) concerned over curtailment of ration to cosumers in J

Srinagar, Oct 8 (UNI) Concerned over the curtailment of monthly ration quota to consumers in the Jammu and Kashmir, the Communist Party of India (M) today said this will further increase the prices of rice in the open market.

The State secretary of the CPI(M) Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami expressed deep concern over the curtailment of monthly ration quota under the Above Poverty Line (APL) category.

He said with this curtailment majority of the consumers have been conditioned to procure food from open market under non levy category.

Instead of providing food security to the consumers, he said that they have been put to lot of inconvenience and sufferings for fetching ration at genuine rates.

Mr Tarigami said it was unfortunate to release the ration to the ration card holders under per family norms instead of per head as was being the case in the past.

The ration card holders were earlier getting 10 kgs of ration per month per head and now per family would be getting only 35 kgs in aggregate.

He said that clubbing APL, BPL and Antodya Yojna categories under per family norms was not a genuine way to facilitate the ration card holders in the state and suggested that the entire population be brought under food security programme.

He urged upon the government to streamline the APL,BPL and Antodya Yojna catogaries for providing ration to all consumers at subsidized rates.

He said that there was urgent need to take measures for revamping and streamlining the public Distribution System in the state to eliminate the scarcity of essential Commodities which mostly occurs especially in rural and far-flung areas.

He also demanded early winter dumping in such areas and those which remain cut off during the winter period.

Mr Targami said on the one hand the Food Corporation of India (FCI) claimed to have alloted full quota to to Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department for the months of September besides additional quota sanctioned by the centre, majority depots of the CAPD are closed.

He said people were being forced to purchase rice from open market.

Rice which was being sold at Rs 1400 per quintal before the Amarnath land row, was now being sold at Rs 1800 to Rs 2000 per quintal.

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