Jammu kashmir To Offer 10 Kilograms of Extra Subsidized Ration...
SRINAGAR: The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, made an announcement on Saturday regarding the provision of an additional 10 kilograms of subsidized ration to priority households in the Union Territory under the Prime Minister's Food Supplementation Scheme. Addressing the media at Raj Bhavan, LG Sinha emphasized the importance of smart meters due to the mounting power debt bills in J&K, which have reached Rs 31,000 crore in the last four years.
LG Sinha stated that priority households in J&K already receive 5 kilograms of free ration per family member. He further added, "Henceforth, each family covered under priority households will be entitled to receive an extra 10 kilograms of ration. In J&K, this scheme will benefit 14.32 lakh ration cardholders and 57,24000 families categorized as priority households." The LG reiterated the J&K administration's commitment to prioritizing the welfare of the underprivileged.
Under the Prime Minister's FSS for priority households, the additional 10 kilograms of ration will be provided at a subsidized rate of Rs 25 per kilogram, costing the UT government Rs 1.80 crore annually. LG Sinha explained that eligible households will only have to pay Rs 25 per kilogram, as opposed to the standard rate of Rs 34 per kilogram for rice, resulting in a subsidy of Rs 9 per kilogram. Additionally, priority households were already receiving 4 kilograms of free ration per person. Therefore, a family of four will now receive 16 kilograms of free ration along with the additional 10 kilograms of rice at the subsidized rates.
When asked about any potential relaxation in power tariffs for the poor, the LG asserted that electricity bills would be based on usage and people would need to pay accordingly. He highlighted the mounting power tariff bills, which have accumulated to Rs 31,000 crore over the past four years. The LG expressed hope for improved weather conditions as the Amarnath Yatra has been temporarily suspended due to rainfall, and he expects pilgrims to be able to resume their journey to the cave shrine soon.
