COVID-19: Ration stocks rapidly drying up in Pulwama

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir government’s announcement, to provide two months advance ration to the consumers as a relief measure amid coronavirus threat, is all set to fail due to the non-cooperation of Food Corporation of India (FCI), which supplies the ration to Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department, for disallowing loading of food grains from its godowns in Kashmir division.

Reports received from district Pulwama suggest that the authorities are faced with a catch 22 situation due to the rapid exhaustion of food grain stocks on one hand and denial of grain supply by FCI, on the other. The problem arising out of the refusal of FCI to allow procurement of stocks from its Lethpora godown has compounded the difficulties of the CAPD Department to deal with the crisis arising out of coronavirus outbreak.

Insiders in district CAPD department said that around 100 trucks are waiting since last week outside the FCI godown at Lethpora Pulwama for loading, but so far only 10 trucks have been allowed loading by the FCI officials, while rest of the trucks are waiting outside the godown for the grant of loading permission from FCI officials.

About the situation arising as a reason of FCI’s denial to permit the loading of the trucks, Assistant Director CAPD Pulwama, Sharjeel Ahmed said that the department also arranged 50 labourers at its own level for loading purpose, but due to denial of permission to load the supply from its godown by the FCI officials, they are stuck up at Lethpora along with dozens of trucks, while the food stocks are rapidly getting exhausted in the district.

“If the situation remains same, we will be faced with a worst kind of crisis situation in the district as our stocks of food grains are drying up at a very fast pace”, said Sharjeel, adding that higher ups in the department have been informed about the problem, but so far no solution to the problem has come up.

While responding to the reports, of denial of permission from FCI for loading of supplies, Director CAPD Bashir Ahmed Khan confirmed that FCI, at the moment is not allowing the loading process, from its Lethpora godown in Pulwama; however the department has written to FCI authorities about the issue, but so far no reply has been received from that side.

Meanwhile, DC Pulwama, Raghav Langer was not available for his comment on the issue, as he did not pick up the phone.

While the world is faced with a crisis situation and globe has come together in the fight against coronavirus pandemic, Central and Union Territory departments in the Valley are giving two hoots about the coordination, among the two sides.