“A fresh wave of anxiety about the availability of stocks and fears of further surge in the prices of essential commodities in coming few weeks is sweeping across Kashmir”.
Availability of stocks is always a concern for the people during mid winter periods in Kashmir and henceforth issue is of no different concern for the consumers in Kashmir even at the fag end of this year’s winter season. After a prolonged dry spell in the mid winter period “chilla-i-kalan” the recent heavy snowfall in mid February this year has led to traffic blockades on Jammu-Srinagar highway due to which a fresh wave of anxiety about the availability of stocks and fears of further surge in the prices of essential commodities in coming few weeks is sweeping across Kashmir. Though there is no forecast for a heavy snowfall for at least another week this time but the forecast of low intensity wet spells by Meteorological Department necessitates review of the measures over both the availability of stocks and as well as rise in the prices of essential commodities particularly vegetables, fruits and poultry products like eggs and chicken. Though shortage of essentials witnessed always during winter periods in Kashmir valley due to frequent traffic blockades on Jammu-Srinagar highway is not a new experience for the divisional administration in Kashmir Valley but what makes it a new experience is the non intervention of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department in the regulation of the prices of essential commodities both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu.
“Since the scarcity of essentials in the wake of re-occurrence of more traffic blockades on Jammu-Srinagar highway due to another wet spell can’t be ruled out in coming days, growing public anxiety about the availability of stocks in Kashmir Valley deserves and demands immediate attention and intervention of the divisional administration Kashmir and particularly Srinagar directorate of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (FCS&CA) department. So a close supervision on the transportation of essential commodities from Jammu and other parts of the country and their availability in the markets are the two major pressing issues demanding urgent attention and intervention of the Srinagar Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (FCS&CA) department.”
While it is an irrefutable fact that for the last two years FCS&CA Department in Kashmir has been maintaining a position that no law governs it to control the prices of essential commodities, but it is also a fact that consumers for the last two years have been explaining it to the authorities of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department that even if there is no law for allowing the FCS&CA Department to regulate the prices of essential commodities the Government has still all the powers to make a fresh law and implement it forcefully for protection of consumer rights in Jammu & Kashmir like other states and union territories of the country. Now this time people in Kashmir raise a question that even if law does not allow the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department to regulate the prices of the essential commodities, the law does not also bar the department from reviewing the availability of stocks in view of Meteorological Department’s fresh forecast of a wet spell in coming days in Kashmir Valley. Since the scarcity of essentials in the wake of re-occurrence of more traffic blockades on Jammu-Srinagar highway due to another wet spell can’t be ruled out in coming days, growing public anxiety about the availability of stocks in Kashmir Valley deserves and demands immediate attention and intervention of the divisional administration Kashmir and particularly Srinagar directorate of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (FCS&CA) department. So a close supervision on the transportation of essential commodities from Jammu and other parts of the country and their availability in the markets are the two major pressing issues demanding urgent attention and intervention of the Srinagar Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (FCS&CA) department.
