Special drive launched to cover weakest, vulnerable sections

SRINAGAR: Over 96,000 MTs of food-grains have been distributed by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs this June, under various food security schemes including 33,988.25 MTs under NFSA, and 30,690.05 MTs under PMGKAY, marking an achievement of 94.26%, and 93.79% distribution target, respectively. Further, 13,407.07 MTs were distributed under Non-NFSA with an additional 18,505.29 MTs under JKFES- which is a J&K Government’s food security scheme. The distribution was carried out entirely through PoS devices with biometric Aadhaar and dealer authentication.
Pertinently the Department distributed over one lakh metric tons of food-grains to the beneficiaries in the month of May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions.
Moreover, 1,011 ONORC transactions were added in the month of June taking the total number of ONORC transactions to 4,417 for J&K, helping it consistently retaining 6th place in the National Index.
The Department has initiated a slew of measures for streamlining the public distribution system in J&K, and as a part of this effort, updatation of 634 more PoS devices from offline to online mode for the July distribution cycle has been made for making the distribution process further transparent and credible.
To reach out to the most vulnerable sections of the society, it was informed that both the provincial heads of the Department have been instructed to immediately launch special drive to reach out, identify and issue ration cards and food-grains to the weakest and vulnerable sections of the society including street dwellers, hawkers, laborers, migrant laborers, physically challenged and specially-abled etc.
“Subject to the target ceilings under NFSA, weaker and vulnerable sections of the society, including those whose incorporation has been directed by the Supreme Court of India will be included on priority basis through this special drive,” the Department’s spokesman said, adding that the provincial heads will further devise a fool-proof mechanism to provide ration under portability or through other acceptable arrangement to NFSA-registered migrating nomadic families after their proper data mapping.
The spokesman said following some complaints regarding ineligible beneficiaries figuring in AAY/PHH categories, the Directors have been asked to re-verify all such cases immediately where complaints are received through media, from public, on the basis of information provided by the elected public representatives or by other Government Departments, in accordance with the applicable norms and ineligible beneficiaries, if any, be weeded out immediately.

KR Desk