More than six lakh people will be deprived of subsidized ration after the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Jammu and Kashmir.
As J&K government is going to implement NFSA from February 1, five percent of population would have to buy ration from the open market.Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali told that around six lakh people– including chief minister, ministers, MLAs and MLCs– would have to buy ration from the open market after the implementation of the NFSA in the state.
“Gazetted officers, judges, business men having annual turnover of Rs 25 lakh, 30 percent income tax payers and landlords will be also be excluded under NFSA,” said minister.
“As per the data available with CAPD, there are around six lakh people who will not be given ration on the subsidized rates and they have to buy it from open market after the implementation of NFSA in the state from February onwards,” he said.
Zulfkar said their ration cards would be treated as cancelled after February.
However, he said stock of ration would be kept available in the open market for these 6 lakh people to be excluded under NFSA across the state.
When asked whether state government will take up the issue with the central government to include the left out section of the society under NFSA, he said there was no need of raising the issue “as the excluded section of the society comes from elite class who can afford to buy ration from open market”.
“After assessing the whole data we will include deserving people under NFSA,” the Minister added.
Meanwhile, he said NFSA would benefit 1.19 crore people of the state, including 74.13 lakh persons from poor and marginalized sections of the society, who will be provided ration at highly-subsidized rates of Rs 2 per kg for atta and Rs 3 per kg for rice.
He said the beneficiaries include all AIY and BPL card holders, senior citizens, beneficiaries of social scheme, street vendors , shikara pullers, barbers, show makes, person with disability, people belonging to schedule caste and schedule tribe.
“Another 45 lakh people will also be provided atta at Rs 8 per kg and rice at Rs 10 per kg under APL category,” he added.
Meanwhile, opposition National Conference which has opposed the move as “violation” against the autonomous character of the state has said deprivation of ration at subsidized rates to 6 lakh people tantamount to “human rights violation”.
Pradesh Congress chief, Saifuddin Soz has also asked PDP- BJP government to take up the issue with the central government so that no section of the society is left out or deprived of the benefits after NFSA is implemented in the state.
