The initiative of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department to include left out households and beneficiaries in the Public Distribution System (PDS) as per the central government’s notified criteria is a right move taken at the right time as complaints of households eligible for ration under BPL (Below the Poverty Line) category were received during the high intensity periods of covid-19 pandemic during last two years in most of the districts of both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu division. Since the Deputy Commissioners of both Kashmir and Jammu divisions have been asked to expedite the process of including the deserving households and beneficiaries in the categories placed under the Public Distribution System as per the central government’s notified criteria through their concerned divisional commissioners, it is for the Deputy Commissioners to seek grievances and complaints from the people about the inclusion of deserving households in the public distribution system (PDS) as per the central government’s notified criteria and forward the recommendations to their concerned divisional commissioners in short time in the larger public interests . Asking Deputy Commissioners to carry out a special drive for enrolment of those beneficiaries who are not linked to aadhar in coordination with the field functionaries of FCS&CA Department is by all standards of understandabilities a very laudable decision as this measure would most probably increase the scope for 100% inclusion of left out households and beneficiaries for ration supply in the Public Distribution System (PDS) as per central government’s notified criteria.
Though introduction of PoS machines for distribution of ration is also a biggest measure of transparency in the process of ration distribution but use of PoS machines during high intensity Covid-19 pandemic periods evokes criticism from certain quarters. Criticism for the sake of criticism does not matter but criticism for public conveniences deserves a measurable response from the government. So for so goods but all now depends on the implementation of the initiative announced for inclusion of left out households and beneficiaries as per the central government’s notified criteria for public distribution system.
Such measures would by all probabilities bring much awaited relief to the people of low income groups at a time when tremendous economic stress triggered by back to back two covid lockdowns in last two years has unprecedentedly reduced the opportunities of livelihoods for the people of Jammu & Kashmir as has been witnessed in several states and union territories of the country. Government subsequently setting up Internal Grievances Redressal Mechanism, constituting Vigilance Committees at Village/Ward, Block and District levels and implementing a mechanism of Social Audit are all parts of a process of transparency undertaken in the spirit of accountability for successful implementation of the public distribution system. Though introduction of PoS machines for distribution of ration is also a biggest measure of transparency in the process of ration distribution but use of PoS machines during high intensity Covid-19 pandemic periods evokes criticism from certain quarters. Criticism for the sake of criticism does not matter but criticism for public conveniences deserves a measurable response from the government. So for so goods but all now depends on the implementation of the initiative announced for inclusion of left out households and beneficiaries as per the central government’s notified criteria for public distribution system.
