SRINAGAR: National General Secretary of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Mehraj-ul-Nawab Khan Saturday impressed upon the Lieutenant Governor led administration of Jammu & Kashmir to make the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department more vibrant so that action is taken against profiteers and hoarders.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Khan said that checking squad of the FCS&CA department is missing on the ground with the traders calling the shots.
Khan said that the common masses are forced to suffer since the price list issued by the department is trampled over by the black-marketers and hoarders.
“It has been observed that the higher ups of the department more so those associated with the checking squad are not present on the ground. Their role has been limited to issuance of press notes and giving media bytes with the same hogging headlines through the state media. No practical work is done by such people resulting into miseries for the common masses,” said Khan.
Khan who is also associated with the minorities department of the party said that closure of Srinagar-Jammu national highway gives an excuse to the vegetable sellers, meat sellers, poultry dealers and fruit sellers to increase the prices. He said although the FCS&CA department comes out with a rate list every now and then, but that is seldom implemented on ground.
“LG Manoj Sinha should look into the matter and issue necessary directions to the field staff so that there is no violation of the government rate list. Once the things are taken in proper perspective then only one can hope for the working of the department to be streamlined. This would also give confidence to the common masses and they can lodge a complaint with the concerned department as and when there is some violation,” said Khan.