MOHD IRFAN
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 8: PDS consumers of Jammu have refused to take wheat from ration depots and demanded supply of flour to them instead of wheat.
People continue to get wheat despite a directive of the governor's ex-advisor Pervez Dewan that urban areas of Jammu would get flour instead of wheat because in urban areas, consumers won't get a "chakki "to grind wheat, but in rural areas people have chakkies and gharats, so they won't have much hesitation in getting wheat because the grinding system was available.
Official sources said due to the non-availability of flour at government depots, even BPL people were forced to buy flour from market at the cost of Rs 200-220 per 10 kg bag against Rs 85 per 10 kg bag in PDS shops.
In NFSA Act, the government has reduced the scale of sugar from 750 gms to 500 gms per head which is also a setback to the consumers who have termed the Act as anti-people, demanding its roll back. While the advisor's directions were not followed by the officers concerned in the Governor Rule, it was hoped that the political government would come to their rescue, people said.
Kashmiri consumers have demanded an increase in the quota of rice. As second innings of CAPD minister Zulfkar Ali has begun, it was expected that flour would now be available in PDS shops.
Despite repeated attempts, CAPD Director G S Chib was not available for comments. |
