“Unfortunately Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department despite having a separate wing of enforcement wing at the twin directorates in Kashmir and Jammu does not bother to collaborate with the mainland district administration in checking the prices of essential commodities”.
It is gratifying to note that Lt Governor Manoj Sinha at a review meeting over arrangements for the upcoming Jumat-Ul-Vida, Shab-e-Qadr and Eid Ul Fitr celebrations has himself directed the top Government officials to ensure delivery of essential commodities to consumers at the rates notified by the Government by carrying out intense market checking across Jammu & Kashmir. Since the market checking for containing the prices of essential commodities was a decades old practice carried out by Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department but unfortunately the very department abandoned the practice of market checking for controlling prices of essential commodities almost a year ago instead of paying heed to the increasing public outcry against unprecedented rise in prices of essential commodities. Following the huge public outcry against the rising prices of essential commodities the Deputy Commissioners under the directions of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir are though sending market checking squads to markets for checking the prices of essential commodities for last more than a fortnight but unfortunately Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department despite having a separate wing of enforcement wing at the twin directorates in Kashmir and Jammu does not bother to collaborate with the mainland district administration in checking the prices of essential commodities even on the commencement of Jumat-Ul-Vida, Shab-e-Qadr and Eid Ul Fitr. Now when the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has himself directed market checking to ensure delivery of essential commodities to consumers at prices notified by the Government at a top review meet attended by Chief Secretary and Director General Police, the onus of conducting market checking regularly lies equally on the Deputy Commission of all the districts and Directors of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department across Jammu & Kashmir.
“Keeping in view the hesitancy shown by the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department in reviving decades old practice of market checking for keeping prices of essential commodities under control the vigil over the market checking practices of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department from the top demands immediate attention and intervention of the Government for bringing long awaited respite to gullible consumers in Jammu & Kashmir.”
For strict implementation of the directions of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on price control and market checking, the onus of notifying market rates of essential commodities afresh lies on the Directors of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department of both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division for strict enforcement under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioners in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division. Keeping in view the hesitancy shown by the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department in reviving decades old practice of market checking for keeping prices of essential commodities under control the vigil over the market checking practices of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department from the top demands immediate attention and intervention of the Government for bringing long awaited respite to gullible consumers in Jammu & Kashmir.
