“Suspension of FCS&CA market inspections for four years has led to rampant price inflation, adulteration, and poor quality in essential goods.”
The once-robust system of market checking in Jammu and Kashmir — a mechanism that for decades ensured fair pricing and quality control of essential commodities — has nearly collapsed. The periodic inspections by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department, which once kept traders in check and prices under control, have been suspended for the last more than five years. The fallout is visible everywhere: inflated rates, adulteration, and erratic quality of essentials like mutton, poultry, and vegetables. The “rotten mutton row” in the Valley this year has only brought this decay into sharper focus. With no effective oversight, prices of mutton have skyrocketed while quality has fallen. Consumers are left to the mercy of market forces, and the department, which once intervened swiftly, now appears powerless — or worse, indifferent. One of the main reasons for this decline is the department’s inadequate manpower. Years of neglect, unfilled vacancies, and lack of field staff have crippled enforcement wings. Earlier, market checking squads were routinely seen in bazaars, imposing fines and confiscating adulterated or overpriced goods. Today, those squads are either nonexistent or act with little authority. The department has been reduced to a toothless tiger — roaring on paper but incapable of biting where it matters. The onus lies squarely on the administrative leadership to restore credibility. The Directors of the Kashmir and Jammu divisions must immediately revive inspection drives and deploy whatever limited staff they have to protect consumer interests. Even a partial resumption of regular checks would signal that the government is serious about curbing exploitation and restoring discipline in the markets.
“The current state of market inspections and food safety checks by the FCS&CA Department in Jammu and Kashmir is inadequate, hindering a healthy and fair economy. The department has been criticized as a “toothless tiger” due to a lack of accountability and staffing issues. The new leadership in the FCS&CA Department must act decisively to restore accountability, fill vacancies, and ensure that market inspections and food safety checks are implemented as essential safeguards to protect consumer rights and regain public confidence.”
Revival alone will not suffice. What J&K needs is a strong legislative mandate — a law that makes market checking a statutory obligation rather than an optional administrative exercise. The ongoing Assembly session offered an opportunity to push through such a measure but no such resolution was brought before the assembly by the Government. The law alone can define inspection schedules, fix accountability for enforcement failures, and set tough penalties for traders found guilty of profiteering or adulteration. Without legal backing, the system will remain dependent on the will or whims of individual officers. Responsibility also lies with the Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, who must show both political will and administrative resolve. Consumer protection is not a symbolic exercise; it is a test of governance and public trust. Equally worrying is the lax attitude of the J&K Food Safety Department, which has failed to intensify inspections despite the recent recovery of rotten meat in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley. Hotels, restaurants, and slaughterhouses continue to operate with minimal oversight, putting public health at risk. The situation demands urgent corrective action. Market inspections and food safety checks are not bureaucratic rituals but essential safeguards for a healthy and fair economy. The new leadership in the FCS&CA Department must act decisively to restore accountability, fill vacancies, and reclaim public confidence. Only then can the department shed its image as a toothless tiger and re-emerge as a true guardian of consumer rights in Jammu and Kashmir.
