Udhampur: District Udhampur has managed to create a niche in transparent distribution of ration with almost 100% implementation of Adhar based transaction and real time monitoring through a well established ombudsman.
For ensuring ration distribution to every eligible person, District Development Commissioner, Dr Piyush Singla has constituted a permanent committee to monitor the dispensing of the ration to the public through the FCS&CA department’s Public Distribution System.
The committee keeps tab on the functioning of the fair price shops (FPS) and checks compliance of the essential parameters such as display of stock position, installation of electronic weighing balance, POS device and display board. The Adhar based transaction is another area of focus and the district has achieved almost 100 percent seeding of the ration cards.
Assistant Director FCS&CA, Arif Lone informed that during the 2019-20 fiscal, the percentage of Aadhar seeding in the district has raised fourfold. “Till March 2019, the percentage of Aadhar seeding was merely 23% and after hectic efforts and persuasion the Aadhar seeding at ration card level has been raised to 92%” he said. He added that about 2000 left out ration cards which were over and above the electronic public distribution system (EPDS) portal were updated so that ration distribution occur at genuine level.
Duplicate entries have been weeded out from the distribution portal and this initiative of the District Administration received much praise from the Jammu & Kashmir Government. The district has bagged top position in the Aadhar linked ration distribution system. The AD FCS&CA department added that during COVID-19 pandemic FPS dealers made every effort to ensure the delivery of ration and other essentials to the general public at their doorstep.
He said presently, District Administration Udhampur along with the District Rajouri, is among the top performers in Jammu & Kashmir in terms of Aadhar enabled transactions thus ensuring maximum transparency and zero pilferage.
He added during the Vigilance week, the monitoring committee conducted inspection of all the FPS (approx.180) to check the essential parameters such as Display of stock position ,Installation of electronic weighing balance , PoS devices and display board. He said this initiative of District Administration Udhampur was adopted and replicated throughout Jammu & Kashmir.
Likewise weeding of duplicate beneficiaries, which were approximately 16000 both under PHH and NPHH categories has provided ample scope for substitution of the genuine beneficiaries on the portal.
Similarly, in Kerosene oil rationalization, Udhampur District has achieved 109% Saturation level in terms of LPG coverage, thus reducing the Kerosene Oil allocation to zero. This, he said has totally eradicated the chances of pilferage and misappropriation of kerosene.
He said ration on wheels, a novel concept of ration distribution, introduced by the District Administration during COVID-19 pandemic, received National recognition as it ensured doorstep delivery of ration commodities and other essentials to the people amid lockdown.
