Srinagar: The Food Civil supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA) department Wednesday directed all the government employees and the consumers having good economical conditions to surrender their Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) ration.
The notification in this regard has been issued by Director FCSCA Kashmir.
The notification states that the families, households or ration ticket holders whose financial position had improved since the implementation of National food Security Act (NFSA) had rendered them ineligible for receiving ration under the AAY and PHH categories.
“All such ration ticket holders are hereby advised to voluntarily surrender their ration tickets issued in their favour under AAY or PHH categories within 15 days,” the notification reads.
It said that after implementation of NFSA in J&K in 2016, two categories of households – AAY and PHH were registered for receiving ration on highly subsidised rates.
“The two categories have been identified on the basis of being poorest of poor and poor. But since the implementation of NFSA, the economic condition of many households has improved either through acquiring a government job or through other means, rendering them ineligible for receiving subsidised ration under AAY or PHH categories,” the notification reads.
An official said that the persons whose economic conditions improved post implementation of NFSA either by acquiring government jobs or by establishing business were supposed to voluntarily surrender these cards.
“If any government employee failed to surrender the AAY or PHH ration ticket, the matter will be taken up with the concerned head of the department for recovery from such an employee,” the official said.
He said that the government employees would be dealt with strictly if they fail to surrender the ration cards within the stipulated time period.
“Because once the recovery will be initiated against any government employee it will be termed as a criminal act on his part which will prove detrimental for the government employee,” the official said.
He said strict action would be also initiated against those having well established business but still receive ration as per AAY or PHH ration ticket.
“We will start a fresh verification after 15 days to identify the culprits,” he said.