Dulloo Calls for strengthening food security measures, enhancing transparency
Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday chaired a review meeting focused on the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) and Legal Metrology Departments, where Commissioner Secretary Saurabh Bhagat provided an overview of departmental operations, achievements, and future goals. The meeting was attended by key officials from both departments.
Addressing the meeting Chief Secretary lauded the department’s progress in digitization, Aadhaar integration, and transparency in food distribution. He emphasized the importance of eliminating undeserving beneficiaries, enhancing consumer protection, and ensuring timely completion of departmental deliverables to improve service efficiency. The National Food Security Act (NFSA) currently supports over 102.54 lakh individuals across 25.61 lakh families in Jammu and Kashmir, providing essential food security. Monthly distributions include 3.70 lakh quintals under NFSA, 1.59 lakh quintals under non-NFSA, 1.24 lakh quintals under PMGKAY, and 0.20 lakh quintals under the State Ayushman Ann Yojana (SAAY). The region has achieved 100% Aadhaar seeding of ration cards, with 96.55% of transactions authenticated, ensuring transparency in public distribution through a network of 6,611 sale outlets, 6,362 of which operate online. The implementation of NFSA includes 2.21 lakh families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), receiving 35 kg of food grains monthly at no cost, while 14.39 lakh families under Priority Households (PHH) receive 5 kg per person monthly. Non-Priority Households (NPHH) consist of 8.11 lakh families receiving subsidized food grains, alongside 0.89 lakh families excluded from NFSA benefits. Key technology-driven reforms under the SMART-PDS initiative were discussed, including full automation of Fair Price Shops (FPS) using e-PoS devices, digitization of beneficiary databases, and Aadhaar-based biometric authentication. The meeting also highlighted the establishment of multiple grievance redressal mechanisms, such as the JK-Grams portal and toll-free numbers, to facilitate consumer complaints. Strict enforcement measures against misappropriation and black-marketing of food grains have been successfully implemented, with fines reaching up to Rs. 8,000 per quintal for wheat/rice and Rs. 120 per kg for sugar. The department has set clear timelines for future deliverables, including 100% e-KYC saturation by December 2025 and full integration of migrant ration cards by November 2025. Regarding the Legal Metrology Department, its responsibilities include the inspection and verification of weights and measures, regulation of packaged goods, and consumer complaint management. The department conducted 20,455 inspections, held 242 awareness camps, received 100 consumer complaints, and generated Rs. 182.51 lakhs in revenue through enforcement actions.
