“Newly elected assembly is fully mandated to enforce a law for restoring the suspended market checking through already established enforcement wing for the purposes of the protection of consumer rights in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS& CA) Department as the word itself denotes has an institutional and administrative obligation to protect the rights of consumers besides supplying and distributing ration, flour, sugar etc but unfortunately the enforcement wing established in the department decades ago for controlling prices of essential commodities through market checking as part of its consumer affairs activities has been kept on the suspension mode for last more than two years. True it is that Lt Governor led Administration suspended enforcement wing two years back and refused to control the prices of essential commodities in the light of an order of the Union Agriculture Ministry issued by it years ago but it is also an irrefutable fact that consumer’s rights are protected through market checking in almost all the states and Union Territories (UTs) of the country the way rights of consumer were being protected through market checking in Jammu & Kashmir even after the implementation of J&K Reorganisation Act after October 2019. While none else than Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the light of the pre-election manifesto of his party National Conference this year promised to protect the rights of consumers the way they were being protected before the implementation of J&K Reorganisation act after October 2019, there is no word on restoration of enforcement wing of the FCS& CA Department from the Government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Even if the argument of the bureaucratic top brass of FCS&CA Department that law doesn’t allow them to revive the market checking practices for controlling the prices of essential commodities with the spirit of protecting the rights of consumers the fact remains that the newly elected assembly is fully mandated to enforce a law for restoring the suspended market checking through already established enforcement wing for the purposes of the protection of consumer rights in Jammu & Kashmir. After both State and assemblies are mandate to make, amend and even scrap the laws in interest of the administration and welfare of the people.
“Today local bread makers have unauthorisedly hiked prices of breads, tomorrow meats sellers (butchers) can hike the prices of meat and poultry outlets can hike the prices of poultry birds. Interesingly prices of sacrificial lambs touch sky rocketing heights on the eve of Eid Ul-Azha. Not only administrative wisdom but morality also demands that Government omits the word “Consumers Affairs” from the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department and keeps it only “Food & Civil Supplies Department” if it does not see any scope for restoring the enforcement wing and reviving market checking through it for the protection of consumers in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Significantly people of Jammu & Kashmir reserve the right to ask a question to the elected Government that what is the fun of establishing district consumer protection forums presently in place across Jammu & Kashmir if law doesn’t allow FCS&CA Department to revive the market checking practices through enforcement wing still existing in the FCS&CA department for controlling the prices of essential commodities. Had enforcement wing and the market checking practices carried out by it not been suspended by the Government the local bread makers popularly called “Kandurs” won’t have dared to hike prices of local breads from Rs 5 to Rs 10 without the consent of Divisional Commissioner and FCS&CA Department . Today local bread makers have unauthorisedly hiked prices of breads, tomorrow meats sellers (butchers) can hike the prices of meat and poultry outlets can hike the prices of poultry birds. Interesingly prices of sacrificial lambs touch sky rocketing heights on the eve of Eid Ul-Azha. Not only administrative wisdom but morality also demands that Government omits the word “Consumers Affairs” from the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department and keeps it only “Food & Civil Supplies Department” if it does not see any scope for restoring the enforcement wing and reviving market checking through it for the protection of consumers in Jammu & Kashmir.
