“Zero intervention over regulation of the prices of essential commodities from J&K Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (J&K FCS&CA) Department for the last four years has spiked the prices of vegetables and fruits over and above Rs 200/ per kg which is undoubtedly beyond the purchasing capacity of common consumers in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Price rise has a direct bearing on a common consumer as it inevitably reduces the purchasing capacity of consumers to basic essential commodities including vegetables, fruits, and poultry products like chicken and eggs . So it is an irrefutable fact that price rise has a direct bearing on accessibility of a common consumer to basic human needs. With regulation of prices reduced to zero intervention from Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (FCS&CA) Department for the last four years in Jammu & Kashmir the consumer is unfortunately in distress both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. Though heightened vigil on regulation of the prices of essential commodities should have been a top priority for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (FCS&CA) Department during the ongoing peak summer periods in view of ongoing Amarnath Yatra and summer tourist season in Kashmir Valley but policy of no intervention in regulation of prices of essential commodities from J&K Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (J&K FCS&CA) Department heads to no dead end in Jammu & Kashmir. Zero intervention over regulation of the prices of essential commodities from J&K Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (J&K FCS&CA) Department for the last four years has spiked the prices of vegetables and fruits over and above Rs 200/ per kg which is undoubtedly beyond the purchasing capacity of common consumers in Jammu & Kashmir. The unprecedented price rise triggered by zero intervention of J&K Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (J&K FCS&CA) Department necessitates restoration of decades old practice of market checking. Government has not to institutionalise the practice of market checking afresh as enforcement wing of the J&K Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (J&K FCS&CA) Departmen established only for market checking decades ago still exists at the twin directorates of the department in Srinagar and Jammu. The restoration of the decades old market checking practice as such demands and deserves urgent attention of the Government in larger interests of the common consumers.
“The increasing focus on the consumer protection across the country also necessitates an urgent and immediate attention on price rise and quality control in case of essential commodities more intensely in Jammu & Kashmir than other parts of the country. Kashmir a region known for frequent disruptions in traffic movements on Jammu-Srinagar highway always keeps on crying over the supply of essential commodities more intensely during chilly winter months than peak summer season in Kashmir Valley and henceforth demands and deserves urgent attention and intervention of the Government over both the regulation of prices of essential commodities and as well as inspection of grocery stores for the purposes of quality food products to consumers.”
Decades of experiences have shown that prices once regularly controlled through regular market checking practices increases the purchasing capacity of consumers and henceforth enhances the affordability of consumers. Since price rise can’t be contained and controlled without regulation of the prices of essential commodities more intensely in landlocked Kashmir Valley due to its vulnerability to traffic disruptions on Jammu-Srinagar highway than other parts of the country, the restoration of the market checking practices deserves immediate attention and intervention of the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary Attal Dulloo. The increasing focus on the consumer protection across the country also necessitates an urgent and immediate attention on price rise and quality control in case of essential commodities more intensely in Jammu & Kashmir than other parts of the country. Kashmir a region known for frequent disruptions in traffic movements on Jammu-Srinagar highway always keeps on crying over the supply of essential commodities more intensely during chilly winter months than peak summer season in Kashmir Valley and henceforth demands and deserves urgent attention and intervention of the Government over both the regulation of prices of essential commodities and as well as inspection of grocery stores for the purposes of quality food products to consumers.
