Govt Plans to Open 1600 New Fair Price Shops Across J&K, Inclusion of Left-Out Family Members in Ration Cards Continues: Food Minister
Srinagar, Mar 20, KNT: The Jammu and Kashmir government is considering the establishment of 1,600 new Fair Price Shops across the Union Territory to enhance the public distribution system. This was stated by Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Satish Sharma, while responding to a query raised by legislator Vijay Kumar in the Assembly.
The Minister highlighted that the government intends to engage elected representatives in assessing the demand and requirement for these shops. He added that the expansion plan will move forward once necessary amendments are made under the Jammu and Kashmir Targeted Public Distribution System.
In a related development, Sharma also addressed concerns regarding the inclusion of left-out family members in ration cards, stating that the process is ongoing across J&K. He made this statement in response to a question from legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia.
Providing details, Sharma revealed that 98.52 lakh beneficiaries under AAY, PHH, and NPHH categories are currently covered under the PM Ration Yojana in J&K, with 56,977 beneficiaries specifically in the Chenani Constituency. He reaffirmed that the establishment of additional Fair Price Shops would align with the existing public distribution framework, necessitating a reassessment of current policies.
Sharma noted that since the elected government took charge, the role of legislators in identifying gaps in the distribution system has been deemed essential. However, he clarified that the bifurcation of ration cards has been halted to ensure compliance with targets set for the Public Distribution System, particularly for AAY households, which receive 35 kg of food grains per household.
He explained that issuing fresh ration cards would create logistical challenges, including the procurement of additional food grains and increased financial burden on the department. Nevertheless, the government continues to accommodate eligible left-out members within household ration cards to ensure food security.
Furthermore, Sharma informed the Assembly that children born between 2011 and 2016 have already been included in their respective household ration cards to address their nutritional needs. He also shared statistical insights, revealing that 8.72 lakh individuals under the AAY category, 58.10 lakh under the PHH category, and 31.70 lakh under the NPHH category have been covered under the PM Ration Yojana in J&K. In Chenani Constituency alone, 2,451 individuals under AAY, 31,780 under PHH, and 22,746 under NPHH have benefited from the scheme.
The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the public distribution network while maintaining equitable access to food grains for all eligible households across Jammu and Kashmir.
