Srinagar, Mar 2: To ensure transparency in the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, the Government is introducing multi-purpose “Smart Card” system for the ration distribution.
 In an exclusive interview with Greater Kashmir, CAPD Director, Abdul Wahid Tak, said the introduction of Smart Card would be started in a phased manner. “In the first stage these cards will be given to ration card holders of Rajbagh and Jawahar Nagar for trial purpose.”
 He said the consumer would receive ration after swapping the Card. “If the ticket holder will not swap the card, his share of ration will remain safe and as balance with the department,” he said.
 Tak said the Cards would be multi-purpose and could be used like Bank ATM Cards and Identity Cards. He said the district wise list of Below Poverty Line and Above Poverty Lines ration card holders would be displayed on the newly created department’s official website. He said the project would be given to J&K Information Technology Department or J&K Bank.
 He said CA&PD had a widespread network of 3050 outlets in Kashmir including government Sale Centres and Fair Price Shops.
 “On these outlets the essential commodities like flour, rice, sugar and kerosene is distributed among 100, 2000 families,” he said.
 “To a Below Poverty Line ration ticket holder, the department is providing 30 kilograms of ration, the quantity of which we are going to increase from March 1 to 35 kg. Above Poverty Line ration card holder will get 35 kilograms of rice instead of earlier 30 kilograms. AAY card holders will get 35 kilograms plus five kilograms of rice on BPL rates, if opted to avail,” he said. He however said the quantity of sugar provided would remain unchanged.
 “Every month we take 400000 quintals of ration from Food Corporation of India including 325000 quintals of rice, flour 30000 and 39000 quintals of sugar,” he said adding CAPD lifts the ration before 20th of every month and dump into the centres for distribution before the 25th.
 “We ensure extra stock of LPG for 12 days. To maintain the adequate supply of gas we have seized 600 cylinders from shops and replaced them with commercial cylinders to reduce pressure of consumption. During winters we introduced usage of blue card for checking the unauthorized sale of cylinders.”
 He said since April 2010, at least 9373 shops were checked and fine of Rs 16 lakh was realized from 792 shops. Also 94 FIRs were registered. In 2009 only Rs 3 lakh fine was realized.  
 “We have fixed Rs 25 for hair cutting after consulting the barbers,” he said.
 Expressing inability in controlling the overcharging on readymade garments, he said, “Garments don’t come in essential commodities. But department sends squads to check the margins of the flat sales on garments.”  “Any businessman before announcing sale should declare the original rates to department to substantiate the sale rates.”
 Claiming that department had first time constituted a team comprising media persons, representatives of NGO’s, butchers, traders federation of reputed persons from different fields to survey the rates of mutton in the country he said, “The team led by deputy director CAPD went to the mutton markets of Amritsar, Delhi and Rajasthan to check the rates,” he said.
 Tak said the Government was contemplating to recruit Rehbar-e-Khurak on the pattern of the Rahbar-e-Taleem teachers to improve the functioning of the department at grass roots level. He, however, said the preference would be given to those who are already working on Fair price shops as distributors. However, they should have the required educational qualification for the post.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 2 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 2 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 3 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST