Though accessibility to ration remains a major concern like several states and union territories of the country as the right to ration availability can’t be denied to citizens across the country including those of Jammu & Kashmir but consumer affairs mainly concerned about the rights of consumer is more important an issue than the ration availability. Given the fact that issues regarding the BPL (Below Poverty Line) and APL (Above Party Line) arise off and on as ration availability rights are more about the BPL and APL categories than any other issue. Grievances about the people of BPL category if resolved through given procedures promptly would by all standards of understandabilities leave no scope for any criticism against the authorities of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs connection with the distribution of ration in Jammu & Kashmir. Having put into place even a consumer protection court for the protection of consumer rights almost more than a decade ago the Jammu & Kashmir Government has though left no one in doubt about it’s concerns on consumer rights but still there is scope for huge improvement in the working of the consumer affairs system in Jammu & Kashmir like several other states and union territories of the country. Though main concern about the consumer affairs is the stocking of ration for winter in Jammu & Kashmir but in the recent years the price control practices and procedures have not been implemented. Few months back the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department had undertaken a massive drive against illegal profiteering in Kashmir valley but since last two months the drive against illegal profiteers is not continuing with the intensity it continued during early summer months this year.
Unless and until the protection act is not fully implemented in Jammu & Kashmir like several states and union territories of the country the improvement in the consumer affairs system won’t become a reality in Jammu & Kashmir.
Had there been continuity in drive against the illegal profiteers in both Kashmir and Jammu division, the price control procedures won’t have attracted the public criticism which it has attracted during last two months. What matters is the regulation of the price control mechanism and accountability of the people holding the charge of consumer affairs in the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions. The success of price control measures by all standards of understandabilities lies in the accountability of the people holding the charge of consumer affairs in the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions. Unless and until the protection act is not fully implemented in Jammu & Kashmir like several states and union territories of the country the improvement in the consumer affairs system won’t become a reality in Jammu & Kashmir.
