Constitute special Task Force to probe the malpractices and frauds in CAPD: Harsh,
Jammu, July 06 (Scoop News)- Alleging large scale irregularities and malpractices in the functioning of CAPD Deptt., Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and Former Minister today urged upon the Food and Supplies Minister to constitute a special Task Force to probe the multi crore scams and frauds being committed in the said deptt. with impunity and without any check whatsoever. He said that the expose of Rs. 30 crore ration trans-shipment scam in Udhampur that was detected by the Deputy Commissioner Udhampur last week is only a tip of the ice berg with similar situation prevailing in all other districts and tehsils all over the state.
He said that a deep rooted nexus existed in the CAPD Deptt. with govt. functionaries, millars and ration dealers looting not less than 80% of the funds and ration meant for BPL / APL families with helmsmen turning a blind eye to the open frauds for vested interests.
Mr. Singh regretted that the state govt. had earlier turned a deaf ear to the report of the Parliamentary panel on Food Supplies which had pointed out several incriminating aspects in its report early this year in distribution of food supplies in J&K and had called for a high level probe. He deplored that the Parliamentary Panel’s recommendations regarding streamling of transport and distribution system, reduction of losses in transit of food supplies and digitization of records were consigned to dust bin by concerned authorities with ulterior motives. The GOI had also advanced Rs. 6.11 crore to the state govt. during the last year for digitization of records which if materialized could have detected the fraudulent ration cards, black marketing and other malpractices which regretfully had not even been initiated, he lamented. Lauding the efforts of District Development Commissioner Udhampur in unearthing the Rs. 30 crore fraud in the heart of Udhampur city, he sought a thorough and in depth enquiry into all aspects of distribution of food supplies including the funds received, ration supplied by GOI, transport charges, mule charges, loading and unloading carges, quality of ration supplied and ground verification of the beneficiaries in all districts and tehsils with strict legal action as well as recovery proceedings against the delinquents.
Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that the rural and remote areas were the worst affected as there was no timely supply of ration and people were suffering badly because of persistent defaults on the part of Consumer Affairs and Public distribution Deptt. to ensure regular food supplies. He said that the ration dealers in majority of the remote areas were playing truant and committing several frauds in the process of ration distribution. He said that ration was never being given as per prescribed scale in majority of tehsils of Jammu Division in particular and there was large scale mis-appropriation as was repeatedly agitated in the erstwhile Assembly also. He accused the dealers of adulteration and other mal practices thus providing poor quality ration to the bonafide consumers. He said that several fraudulent ration cards and BPL certificates had been prepared by the unscrupulous dealers in connivance with the Deptt. officials. He said that huge funds were being wrongfully withdrawn by the dealers in collusion with Deptt. officials in the name of transportation and carriage charges thus causing huge losses to state exchequer. He said that there were hundreds of villages where regular transport was plying but mule charges, load charges were being drawn by ration dealers in connivance with Deptt. functionaries. He further accused the ration dealers of misappropriation hoarding and undue profiteering with the full knowledge and consent of the Deptt. thereby opening robbing the state exchequer.
Lambasting further the erratic implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, he regretted that the said Act has remained confined to papers only with hardly any initiative having been taken by the concerned officers to check the unabated adulteration of food items and ration supplied which poses the most menacing threat to the lives of the consumers. He deplored that the Govt.’s attention is drawn towards the Act only when some tragic event happens due to food poisoning, food adulteration, adulteration of milk and milk products, unsafe drinking water or spurious drugs. He deplored that despite adulteration in majority of the food items and several complaints filed in this regard the govt. had failed to punish even a single defaulter.
Urging upon the strict implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, Mr. Singh called for constitution of a Food Safety Standards Authority on the central pattern to be headed by a senior officer from civil services as envisaged under the J&K Act also which however has not been done since 2006.
Pointing towards the political allergy to highly organized and unscrupulous production, trade, distribution and supply chains, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh urged upon the CAPD Minister to launch a full throttle campaign against adulteration with rigorous punishment to the offenders. He said that an effective inspection and testing mechanism in respect of all suspected edibles needs a priority attention so as to restore the faith of the public in the said deptt. which is a challenging task which the Young Minister is expected to take up vigorously.
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