Food safety Act of no benefit to J-K: Mufti

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 25

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today dropped hints that the National Food Security Act will not be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mufti said the state government would take up on priority the issue of providing ration to the people as per the 2011 Census. He was speaking in the Legislative Council here today.

“The Food Security Act passed by the previous UPA government will be of no benefit to Jammu and Kashmir. Ration to all is the biggest issue for the government. Adequate ration will be ensured in all rural and semi-urban areas, even if on a no-profit and no-loss basis,” the Chief Minister said while referring to the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ of the coalition government.

The Chief Minister said he would also take up the issue of streamlining ration distribution with the Centre.

He further said the demand for import of food grains into the state had increased as farmers preferred cultivating cash crops which gave greater income returns.

Earlier, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Choudhary Zulfikar Ali informed the House that approximately 4,96,873 households, 1,95,423 in Jammu, 2,95,032 in Kashmir and 6,418 in Ladakh were without ration cards.

The CAPD Minister said no fresh ration cards had been issued to any household after the 2001Census, however, each ration card was revalidated every year. He was replying to a question by MLC Yasir Reshi.

“As per the 2001 Census, 19.72 lakh households have been issued ration cards in the state. At present, ration is provided at the rate of 35 kg per family. There is provision of providing ration at the scale of 5 kg per soul per month under the National Food Security Act 2013 which is not yet implemented in Jammu and Kashmir,” the CAPD Minister said.