Restore old scale of providing 11 kg of ration:Tarigami to J-K

Jammu and Kashmir unit of CPI(M) today alleged that the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) has led to food crisis in the state and asked the ruling PDP-BJP dispensation to restore the old scale of providing 11 kg of ration per person.
"There are protests across all three regions of the state over the scarcity and low scale of ration provided under the NFSA. Implementation of the Act has led to food crisis in the state.
"It would be better if the government restores the old scale of 11 kg of ration per person at subsidised rates," party MLA from Kulgam M Y Tarigami said.

Under the NFSA, every registered person gets a monthly ration of five kg from government outlets.
However, there have been widespread protests against NFSA implementation with reports coming from some areas that even the five kg scale was not being followed.
Tarigami said the government has taken a good step of providing 11 kg -- nine kg rice and two kg atta (wheat flour) -- of ration per person every month to Kashmiri migrants.

"It would be nice to extend this good step to all 1.25 crore populace of the state," he said.
Tarigami said if restoring the 11 kilogram scale was not possible for the government, it can provide 35 kilograms of ration to each household at the subsidised rates of Rs two per kg.

"I had brought a resolution in the state assembly in 2014 seeking 35 kilograms of ration at Rs two per kg. That can form the starting point," he added.
Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday said it has spent over Rs 300 crore for providing cash assistance to Kashmiri migrants during the last two financial years.
"The government has incurred Rs 321. 948 crore on account of providing cash assistance to Kashmiri migrants from March 2014 to April 2016. An amount of Rs 18.76 crore was also used for providing food grains to the migrants registered under relief category in Jammu," Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Syed Basharat Bukhari told Legislative Assembly here.

The migrant families are provided rice at the scale of nine kg per person per month, Atta two kg per person per month and sugar one kg per family per month, the government said.