No supply of pulses, edible oil and salt in govt fair prices shops

Ration card holders have been a harried a lot for the past one month in Kangra district especially in lower Kangra due to non-availability of pulses, edible oil and salt in government fair price shops (depots).

For the first time in the present state government’s regime, the ration card holders of all categories — Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) — did not get these particular ration items in the depots till the 3rd week of November.

In November, depots were only supplied flour, rice and sugar. Ration card holders have been repeatedly visiting depots of their areas for getting pulses and edible oil. Each time they have been turned away with a reply that no supply had been received from the wholesale outlet of the HPSFCSC.

A lot of resentment is brewing among the BPL ration card holders who have been forced to buy these commodities from the market by paying relatively higher prices. Subhash, Charan Singh and Mangal — BPL card holders in Ward Number 2 in Nurpur said they had no source of income and were dependent on old age pension for their daily expenses. Buying pulses and edible oil from the market had disrupted their monthly budget, they said.

Purshotam Singh, District Food and Supply Controller, Dharamsala, when contacted said due to delay in procurement of pulses and edible oils in November, these commodities could not be delivered to the consumers in Kangra district. He said tenders for procurement of these commodities were under process in the state and the ration card holders were yet to get these commodities across the state.

Meanwhile, Vipin Parmar, BJP party in-charge Kangra parliamentary constituency alleged that the working of the HPSFCSC had derailed during the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government. He lamented the government was not serious in providing subsidised essential food items under the Public Distribution System (PDS) which had been badly disrupted during the current Congress government. He added that the supplies of edible oil and pulses were not available even in the godowns of the Civil Supplies Corporation and under the prevailing conditions, it appeared that these essential items would not be available to consumers the next month also.

The state government provides three pulses, edible oil (mustard or refined oil), sugar, wheat flour, rice and salt to BPL and APL ration card holders at subsidised rates through the HP State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (HPSFCSC). The depot holders lift these food items from the wholesale outlets of the HPSFCSC for further distribution to ration card holders.