J&K CIVIL SUPPLIES CORPORATION

TNN Bureau. Updated: 7/21/2017 2:07:02 AM Front Page

'New Face' of PDS in state awaits cabinet's approval


Jammu: On a proposal initiated by FC&CA department, the state finance department has given its concurrence for creation of Jammu Kashmir Civil Supplies Corporation. The proposal is now set to be put before the cabinet for final approval post which it might change the face of Public Distribution System in the State.
While every state barring Jammu and Kashmir already has one such corporation, its constitution in state would see FC&CA department taking up only the advisory and supplementary role as the Civil Supplies Corporation will be the sole agency for procurement of food grains under Public Distribution System while maintaining Commercial Accounting System outside the Government Accounting System.
This development has come in the wake of Dr Haseeb Drabu, Minister of Finance, giving approval to the creation of corporation, today. "The Corporation will cover the State through an efficient procurement and distribution network while infusing transparency and accountability in the system," Dr Drabu said in a meeting, attended by Commissioner Secretary Finance, Navin K Choudhary, Director General, Budget, Mohammad Ishaq Wani, Director, Codes, Mohammad Rafi Andrabi and other officers.
The Corporation, which will cover various Government Schemes MDM, MMSFES, AAY, Social Welfare Schemes, etc, will ensure quality control in procurement, distribution of food grains and regulate the rise in prices of essential commodities in open market, besides exploring the possibility of dealing with workers hired for loading and unloading of grains, by creating an agency which will be dealt with by the Corporation, instead of the Government.

"The Government should have budgetary control on PDS while maintaining transparency in accounts. We share a lot of concerns of transparency in the Public Distribution System and commercial accounting system. This Corporation is a step towards addressing those concerns," Dr Drabu, adding that the Finance Department can provide it with a one-year revolving fund.

The Corporation, to be headed by a Managing Director, will undertake payment of cost of rice and other incidental charges for procurement, milling or processing charges to millers, and transportation charges from purchase point to the fixed sale point as well as domestic trading of other agriculture products, like pulses. "Sugar can be procured directly from sugar factories of neighboring states and transported into J&K using least expensive means of transport," Dr Drabu said.


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