The implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Jammu & Kashmir is emerging as a tough challenge for the ruling PDP-BJP coalition in Jammu and Kashmir. The Opposition parties have already trained their guns on the coalition but the criticism from the pro-azaadi leaders and a chain of street demonstrations is worrisome for the coalition.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, leader of a faction of Hurriyat Conference on Friday devoted considerable time in his weekly sermon at historic Jamia Masjid to castigate the ruling coalition for implementing NFSA.
“This (NFSA) is inhuman and anti-people law. It should be repealed immediately as it intends to push a large section of population to starvation”, Mirwaiz said.
He said rice was the staple food of Kashmiris who can ill-afford curtailment in the monthly quota from the public distribution outlets.
“Kashmir requires monthly supply of 4,75,000 quintals of rice but only 3,25, 270 quintals are supplied”, Mirwaiz said. He said the government’s proposal to supply five kilograms of rice per individual per month instead of 35 kilograms per family was not acceptable.
Mirwaiz said the State’s resources are misused to hold official functions, music and tourism-promotion festivals. “The authorities must ensure the fulfilment of basic requirements of people rather than investing in these non-productive activities”, he said.
Mirwaiz’s sharp reaction came a day after former Chief Minister and leader of Opposition Omar Abdullah said that he did not allow NFSA implementation during his tenure as Chief Minister “despite recurring pressure from the Congress, his alliance partner and ruling party at the Centre.
Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Zulfikar Ali clarified that the previous Government had consented to implement the controversial act in the embattled State.
“Today people are out on the roads in every nook and corner of the State and now Mufti Sahab’s Minister says that this was a decision taken by the previous Government - which is a brazen lie”, Abdullah said while clarifying that he had pledged not to implement the act unless he was convinced over its benefits to the people.
Interestingly, protest demonstrations were held for four consecutive days in various parts of Srinagar against the implementation of the act.
The protests were even held in volatile Maisuma where the headquarters of pro-independence JKlF is located. The protestors expressed their resentment against CAPD department saying that issuance of five kg ration per head per month under the NFSA was ‘injustice’. The protesters demanded implementation of earlier supply provision of 35 kilograms of rice per month for an average family comprising of five members.
Statistics suggest that around 2.31 lakh souls in the Srinagar City could be deprived of subsidised ration besides majority of the families would get less than 25 kilograms of food grains.
In the wake of discrepancies in its database, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department said the provisional enrolment lists would be publicised for public scrutiny so that the discrepancies could be taken care of.
State CAPD Minister Choudhary Zulfkar Ali said 22.73 lakh families comprising 119.13 lakh souls are to be covered under NFSA in the State. CAPD authorities said the new Act has been introduced for the benefit of the households and is not anti-people.
The J&K Cabinet on December 2 approved implementation of NFSA in Jammu and Kashmir with effect from the beginning of February next year.