Srinagar: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here Saturday under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2022’.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the AC said that ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2022’ is a reform in the existing system and permits diversification of commodities and services other than those distributed under the TPDS at FPS, which would, besides making FPSs economically viable, help in putting an end to leakage or pilferage.
It said that the new policy should significantly revise the existing provisions about the opening of new FPS and their licensing and would ensure at least one FPS in each panchayat or municipal ward or ULB and for this purpose new FPS would also be established.
The AC said that the number should be based on the population of the panchayat or municipal ward or the ULB.
It said that the opening of new FPSs should result in livelihood opportunities for unemployed youth as well as for destitute and separated women, and orphan girls as they have been given additional weightage under this scheme.
The AC said that in deference to the position of the PRIs in the governance structure, the policy stipulates that the location of the Fair Price Shop and transfer of the license to a dependent family member should be done in consultation with the concerned Gram Sabha.
It said that the licensing authority should consider the opening of a new FPS to cater to the need of the rationees in an area, satisfying the indicative norms under the order.
The AC said that the present FPS dealers should have to obtain a license under this order within four months to ensure uniformity in the licensing system.
It said that the provisions concerning ration cards, portability, maintenance of records, e-PoS, penalties, monitoring, inspection, and removal of difficulties had also been introduced in the order.
The AC said that the new policy aligned with the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the guidelines of the Government of India.
The spokesman said that Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar and Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta also attended the meeting.