The economic slowdown in post covid pandemic scenario has intensified joblessness and consequently no institution can count the people living below the poverty line (BPL) for free ration in Jammu & Kashmir like other states and union territories of the country in the current phase of high intensity pandemic. While the fact remains that the economic slowdown had started even before the breakout of covid-19 pandemic two years ago, a fresh survey about the people living below the poverty line can’t be conducted in the ongoing high intensity wave of pandemic. Since no survey can be conducted in presence of an unprecedented increase in the no of new variant of covid -19 called “ Omicron” cases , the government’s reach out to people living below the poverty line with ration can’t be put on hold till the restoration pre-covid normalcy. In the absence of a fresh data about people living the poverty line the only way out is the reach out of the government with montly ration quota to the people who have lost jobs during pandemic periods besides the people placed under BPL category in previous survey conducted in the days of pre-covid normality. Since the irrefutable fact is that thousands of people in Jammu & Kashmir too have grievances over their ineligibility for right to ration facility under BPL category, the only way out is the spot verification by the government regarding the claims of the aggrieved people about their placement in the BPL category. Even before the breakout of covid pandemic two years ago the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS &CA) Department had been dealing with the complaints of the aggrieved people about their placement in the BPL category for the purposes of ration facility from the government controlled ration depots and as such the FCS&CA department has to only expedite the process of verification of the complaints received by it from people about their placement in BPL category for the purposes of ration facility from the government controlled ration depots.
Before people start crying for ration under BPL category during the chilly months of winter amid increasing intensity of the new variant of covid-19 pandemic, it would be better for the FCS & CA department to embark on a fast track initiative of looking into the complaints of the people about their placement in BPL category for the purposes of their eligibility for grant of ration under BPL category.
People have grievances about their right to ration in view of the increasing joblessness triggered by back to back two covid lockdowns during last two years of covid-19 pandemic and they are desperate to see government reaching out to them with ration in view of increasing intensity of the new variant of Covid-19 pandemic. Before people start crying for ration under BPL category during the chilly months of winter amid increasing intensity of the new variant of covid-19 pandemic, it would be better for the FCS & CA department to embark on a fast track initiative of looking into the complaints of the people about their placement in BPL category for the purposes of their eligibility for grant of ration under BPL category.
