With Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department’s inordinate delay in tendering and procurement, ration depots across Kashmir valley are without any sugar supplies from last four months.
Despite the beginning of Ramadan, the month of Muslim fasting, which would witness extra sugar ration to the consumers from the government, this year the public is yet to receive its regular supplies.
Consumer from across the valley have been calling this newspaper complaining about the non-availability of sugar in ration depots and rising prices of the sweet commodity in the open market.
Fayaz Ahmad of Kangan told Kashmir Post that unavailability of sugar in the area has resulted in skyrocketing of prices in the open market. “Shopkeepers in our area sell sugar at Rs 70 per kilogram as the Wangut depot in our village is without any sugar stock from last four months,” Ahmad said.
Jammu and Kashmir Government procures sugar in open market from different north Indian states but the tender, which expired last year is yet to be finalized again, as the CAPD Department blames lack of clarity in the procurement prices.
The shortage, though, emerged after Directorate of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) failed to process the tendering for sugar procurement on time.
Director CAPD Mushtaq Shah told Kashmir Post that the sugar rates with bidders are being finalized and sugar supplies are expected soon. However, he was reluctant provide any final date when the sugar will be available.
The shortage of sugar supplies have been recently taken up in the State Assembly as well, seeking an explanation from the government about lack of food grains especially sugar.
Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, today, according to an official statement, informed the House that all efforts have been made to ensure proper supply of sugar at all sale outlets of the state soon.
