By: Faizan Wani
Srinagar: The administration of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory has finalized the Food Security Rules-2021.
In a notification, the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) has notified “The Jammu and Kashmir Food Security Rules-2021” under sub-section (i) of section 40 of the National Food Security Act-2013.”
According to the rules, there shall be internal grievance redressal mechanism at different levels in the department.
As per rules, all the inspectors or tehsil supplies officers (TSOs) of the department in their respective block or tehsil, the assistant directors in their respective district and the officer in-charge of Food distribution section in the office of Director, Department of FCS & CA not below the rank of deputy director in the respective division, shall function as nodal officer for internal grievance redressal mechanism.
The nodal officers shall personally monitor complaints and forward the same for redressal to district grievance redressal officer, the rules state.
It also states that the concerned deputy commissioner or an officer designated by the deputy commissioner not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) shall function as ex-officio district grievance redressal officer in their respective jurisdiction for expeditious and effective redressal of grievances of the aggrieved persons in matter relating to distribution of entitled food grains.
As per the rules, the government may by a notification shall establish a commission known as State Food Commission or can designate any other statutory body to exercise the powers and functions of the State Food Commission.
The chairperson, members and the member-secretary of the State Food Commission shall be appointed by the government on the recommendations of a search committee comprising Chief Secretary, Administrative Secretary, Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Administrative Secretary, Department of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs.
It has been empowered to constitute bench to decide appeals against the orders passed by the district grievance redressal officers.
It has also been authorized to inspect the non-compliance of the policy decisions of the government relating to the National Food Security Act-2013.
The rules also state that there be shall vigilance committees at fair-price shop level, block- level, district- level and state -level to perform functions as prescribed under the NFSA-2013.
While the committee at fair-price shop level will be headed by the concerned Sarpanch, the committees at block level and district level shall be headed respectively by chairpersons of block development councils and chairpersons of district development councils.
The state-level vigilance committee shall be headed by Minister in-charge or advisor in- charge of department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and shall comprise of two MLAs, two chairpersons of DDCs and others. (KNO)
