Ensure no bona fide beneficiary remains deprived of due benefits: Govt to FCS&C

The Jammu and Kashmir government has enjoined officials of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department to ensure that no bona fide beneficiary under the food entitlement scheme in addition to the National Food Security Act (NFSA) scheme is deprived of due benefits.

The directions have been issued after the department put forth a set of notifications with regard to the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and services) Act, 2016.

The Department of FCS&CA is administering the J&K Food Entitlement Scheme in addition to NFSA to provide food grains at affordable and subsidized rates to Rationees/Beneficiaries, which is being implemented through the Directorates of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Jammu Kashmir.

The Department of FCS&CA is also administering the “Special Sugar Scheme” in addition to J&K FES & NFSA. Whereas, Aadhar is being used an as identity document for the delivery of services or benefits or subsidies. A notification in this regard has been issued by Rajinder Kumar, Under Secretary to the government, FSC&CA.
“The aforesaid Schemes involves recurring expenditure incurred from the Consolidated Fund of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir; Now, therefore, in pursuance of section 7 of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and services) Act, 2016 (18 of 2016) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act), the Government of Jammu and Kashmir hereby notifies the following”, the notification reads.

As per the notification, an individual eligible for receiving the benefits under the schemes shall hereby be required to furnish proof of possession of the Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication.

Any individual desirous of availing benefits under the Schemes, who does not possess the Aadhaar number or, has not yet enrolled for Aadhaar, shall be required to make an application for Aadhaar enrollment before registering for the Schemes provided that he is entitled to obtain Aadhaar as per section 3 of the said Act, and such individuals shall visit any Aadhaar enrollment centre (list available at the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) website www.uidai.gov.in) to get enrolled for Aadhaar. In order to provide benefits to the beneficiaries under the scheme conveniently, the respective Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs shall make all the required arrangements to ensure that wide publicity through the media shall be given to the beneficiaries to make them aware of the said requirement.

“In order to ensure that no bona fide beneficiary under the scheme is deprived of his due benefits, the respective Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs shall follow the exception handling mechanism put in place by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, by way of providing nominee facility vide Government Order No.-61 JK(FCS&CA) of 2021 dated 04.08.2021 or as outlined in the office 3 Page Memorandum of DBT Mission, cabinet secretariat, Government of India dated 19th December 2017. This notification shall come into effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette”, the notification reads.