Had requested for shortage of ration, not about Scheme: Zulfikar
The Centre Government has refused the State government’s request to grant additional funds to accommodate the supply of food grains under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme.
Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan has told the state government that it would thus be difficult for the Union government to bear anymore subsidy burden.
“………the request of the State Government is difficult to agree to,” Paswan has said in a letter addressed to the state government. A copy of the letter dated 31 March 2017, (D.O No. 2/Jammu and Kashmir/2015-BP-III (1080) from Paswan is with KNS.
In the letter, Paswan has said that the state government has sent a proposal to grant Rs 272 crore per annum as a special case or to enhance the Prime Minister Development Programme to that extent to accommodate the supply of food grains to be distributed under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
“State of Jammu and Kashmir has implemented the National Food Security Act 2013 in the State with effect from February 2016 and is getting a monthly allocation of 39798.05 tons of food grains 8251.075 tons for AAY and 31546.975 tons for priority households category at highly subsidized price of rupees 3 and rupees 2 per kg for rice and meet respectively,” reads the letter signed by Paswan and sent to the state government.
The minister has mentioned in the letter that in addition, Jammu Kashmir is also getting a monthly tide over the allocation of 22792.04 tons of food grains at subsidized rates of Rs 8.30 at Rs 6.10 per kg for rice and wheat respectively.
“As has already been informed to you vide my DO letter of even no dated 28/11/2016, union government is already taking an annual food subsidy load of Rs 1910.56 crore for the supply of 751081.08 tons of food grains to Jammu and Kashmir annually,” he has said.
“It would thus be difficult for the Union Government to bear anymore subsidy burden. In view of the above it is reiterated that the request of the State Government is difficult to agree to,” the union minister has said.
However, the Minister Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Choudhary Zulfikar Ali told KNS that the state government had not requested the Government of India funds for the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMFES).
“We had written to the Centre Government about shortage of ration in the state. It was not about Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement scheme. The scheme will be borne out by the state government,” Zulfikar told KNS.
MMFES was launched by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at SKICC on July 1 last year to supplement the National Food Security Act (NFSA), ensure adequate food safety under targeted public distribution system and supplement the requirement of additional food-grains of the people.
Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan has told the state government that it would thus be difficult for the Union government to bear anymore subsidy burden.
“………the request of the State Government is difficult to agree to,” Paswan has said in a letter addressed to the state government. A copy of the letter dated 31 March 2017, (D.O No. 2/Jammu and Kashmir/2015-BP-III (1080) from Paswan is with KNS.
In the letter, Paswan has said that the state government has sent a proposal to grant Rs 272 crore per annum as a special case or to enhance the Prime Minister Development Programme to that extent to accommodate the supply of food grains to be distributed under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
“State of Jammu and Kashmir has implemented the National Food Security Act 2013 in the State with effect from February 2016 and is getting a monthly allocation of 39798.05 tons of food grains 8251.075 tons for AAY and 31546.975 tons for priority households category at highly subsidized price of rupees 3 and rupees 2 per kg for rice and meet respectively,” reads the letter signed by Paswan and sent to the state government.
The minister has mentioned in the letter that in addition, Jammu Kashmir is also getting a monthly tide over the allocation of 22792.04 tons of food grains at subsidized rates of Rs 8.30 at Rs 6.10 per kg for rice and wheat respectively.
“As has already been informed to you vide my DO letter of even no dated 28/11/2016, union government is already taking an annual food subsidy load of Rs 1910.56 crore for the supply of 751081.08 tons of food grains to Jammu and Kashmir annually,” he has said.
“It would thus be difficult for the Union Government to bear anymore subsidy burden. In view of the above it is reiterated that the request of the State Government is difficult to agree to,” the union minister has said.
However, the Minister Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Choudhary Zulfikar Ali told KNS that the state government had not requested the Government of India funds for the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMFES).
“We had written to the Centre Government about shortage of ration in the state. It was not about Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement scheme. The scheme will be borne out by the state government,” Zulfikar told KNS.
MMFES was launched by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at SKICC on July 1 last year to supplement the National Food Security Act (NFSA), ensure adequate food safety under targeted public distribution system and supplement the requirement of additional food-grains of the people.