Another step by Mufti to weaken JK’s special status: NC
Congress, BJP welcome the move
Opposition National Conference termed implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the State as another step of Mufti Sayeed- led government to weaken the special status of J&K while Congress and BJP welcomed the move and PDP saying that 74.13 lakh people would benefit from it.“The decision to implement NFSA in J&K infringes special status of the State. This decision again proves that Mufti is implementing RSS agenda here,” NC provisional spokesperson, Imran Nabi Dar said.
Terming the cabinet decision as unjustifiable, he said it (NFSA) would prove counterproductive for the special status of J&K.
“This act was not implemented by previous Omar Abdullah-led NC-Congress government after keeping its ramification into consideration,” Dar said.
He said once the Act is implemented in the state, it would leave lakhs of people without ration. “In such terms it is also a human rights violation”.
However, senior Congress leader and former J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz welcomed the implementation of NFSA in the State.
“All credit for NFSA must be given to the Congress. It would have been implemented earlier but due to the political reasons, NC did not let it happen,” he said.
Soz said the present CAPD minister can’t score points over it as this “revolutionary step” was taken by the Congress.
“The PDP-BJP government should ensure that no section of the society is left out. I welcome this decision whole heartedly as it is big relief to people of the state,” he added.
Senior PDP leader and Minster for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD), Chowdary Zulfiqar Ali said after the implementation of the NFSA in the state, about 74. 13 lakh people would benefit from it.
“We have identified 24 categories of people who are living poorest-of-poor life in the state. They will be given rice and flour at the rate of Rs 3, Rs 2 respectively under this Act,” he said.
Ali said at present only 12 lakh people are being given rice and flour on these rates but once the NFSA is implemented around 74. 13 lakh people would get benefitted.
He said that after the implementation of the NFSA, around 5 per cent of the state population including Chief Minister, ministers, gazetted officers, judges, business men having annual turnover of Rs 25 lakh, 30 per cent income tax payers, landlords would not get subsidzed ration.
The ruling party BJP also welcomed the implementation of NFSA in the State saying it will prove beneficial for maximum people.
“We have already taken up the issue of the left-out section with the central government to bring them also under NFSA,” BJP leader Ramesh Arora told.
He said the cabinet decision has not surpassed any other law in the state and has come through the legally.
