Food scheme beneficiaries fail to get ration cards upgraded

JAMMU: More than four months after the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) came into force on July 1, it is yet to reach its beneficiaries, the reason being that the upgrading and refreshing of ration cards by the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) department haven’t picked up pace.

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 12

More than four months after the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) came into force on July 1, it is yet to reach its beneficiaries, the reason being that the upgrading and refreshing of ration cards by the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) department haven’t picked up pace.

Many consumers who approached the department to get their names included or corrected in ration cards to avail themselves of the benefits of the scheme are still at a loss as the ration being supplied to them is either below their needs or is being denied in want of ration card.

Those who are getting ration from the depots in their areas are using an online ration sheet which has to be downloaded from the CA&PD department site, which is a tedious job for rural consumers.

“I have submitted my ration card for renewal since July 16 to get names of my grandchildren incorporated into it , but the department officials sent me back thrice demanding different papers,” said Santosh Sharma, 74, a housewife at Rehari.

Consumers of rural as well as urban areas lament that even after having given the correct names and ages for rectification in ration cards to the tehsil supply officers (TSOs) concerned many times, no change has been affected.

“We have submitted the new proposals with all accuracy regarding change in names and ages of the new ration card holders on time. Many of the beneficiaries have received their new ration cards in our area. Ration cards of other beneficiaries may be under the process for which they should reach the CAPD office,” said Jatinder Sharma, Inspector, CAPD, Rehari.

Consumers lament that while the department has engaged manpower to get the ration cards upgraded tehsil wise with the tehsil supply officers taking care of their particular tehsils, then why are they being put to hardships.

Though GS Chib, Director, CAPD, did not pick up the phone, he on June 21, 2016, had assured that complaints which were received in the office were being immediately acted upon and officials working round the clock to maintain accuracy. He had also added that there could be many errors left in the procedure as maintaining record of consumers was a continuous process and bound to contain errors, despite frequent checks.