Black market of subsidised ration on, consumers suffer

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 28

In sharp contrast to the government’s much-touted claims of transparency and accountability in the public distribution system (PDS), genuine ration consumers have been denied ration as black marketing of subsidised ration thrives in the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department with officials selling ration to shopkeepers and influential people at exorbitant rates.

The black marketers have adopted a different methodology to swindle subsidised ration meant for public consumption, leaving genuine consumers high and dry.

Consumers from different parts of the state have complained that they are being denied ration on the plea that the CAPD Department has supplied “inadequate ration” and they are not in a position to provide ration to all rationees as per the fixed scale, which belies the government claims of ‘practical deliverance’ of fixed quality and quantity of ration on the ground at the stipulated time.

“We are repeatedly told that inadequate ration is being supplied to ration depots. It appears that a well-knit nexus is operating within the department where the CAPD officials swindle subsidised ration and sell it to shopkeepers on exorbitant rates. Genuine consumers have been denied subsidised ration with the excuse of scarcity of ration,” said Vijay Kumar, a resident of Gandhi Nagar in Jammu.

Pawan Singh, a resident of Ramnagar in Udhampur district, alleged, “Most of the consumers seldom purchase rice from CAPD ration depots being run by the government and private depots in our area. The moot question arises as to where does the rice supplied from ration depots go. The CAPD Department has become a den of corruption. There have been complaints against the dealers as they have resorted to black marketing, but the authorities have never bothered to take corrective measures.”

He said he visited the ration depot for ‘atta’ (wheat flour) many a time, but got the same response that the department was yet to supply adequate supply of ration. “There is a need for an immediate probe into pilferage and malpractices being followed by CAPD officials and dealers so that consumers get the real benefit,” he said.

A resident of a village under Chinkah panchayat in the Arnas area of Reasi district, who declined to be named, said: “From unloading of ration supply, the practice of swindling of foodgrain and ration meant for people begins. Consumers are shown scarcity of ration, beit rice, sugar or flour,every month. If thegovernment provides fixed supply of ration, whydoes it not reach consumers? The government should fix both accountability and responsibility.”

Recently, the government had claimed to provide subsidised ration to 24.72 lakh families, a number up by 6.7 lakh after the government conducted a fresh survey to cover left-out families during Census 2011. It had said the decision would put an additional burden of Rs 701.82 crore on the state exchequer annually.

The total requirement of foodgrain in the state was 7.56 lakh metric tonnes in 2000, but on account of an increase of 6.7 lakh families, there had been an additional requirement of foodgrain of 2.81 lakh metric tonnes per month. Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, Minister for CAPD, and GS Chib, Director, CAPD, Jammu, were not available for comment.