Our Roles

Our Roles/ Functions

The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs previously known as "Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department" is one of the oldest Department in the UT entrusted with the responsibility of implementing one of the prime social sector programme of providing "Food Security" to one and all in general and to the vulnerable sections of the Society in particular by way of providing foodgrains like rice, wheat, and Atta and other essential commodities like Sugar, K.oil and Petroleum Products besides, protecting the consumer rights.

The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs has been performing the following prime functions:

  • Public Distribution System
  • Regulation of Supplies, LPG and other Petroleum Products etc.
  • Price/Market Control
  • Redressal of Consumer Grievances and Protection of Consumer Rights
  • Consumer Awareness Programme

Public Distribution System

The Public Distribution System envisages the system of management of food economy and distribution of foodgrains at affordable prices.

The PDS is although supplement in nature has almost all along helped to ensure availability of un-interrupted supplies of foodgrains in equitable basis at affordable prices not only giving relief to the consumer masses but also exercising stabilizing influence upon the prices of these goods. The PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of Central and UT Government. The Central Government through FCI has the responsibility for procurement, Storage, Transportation and bulk allocation of foodgrains, the UT Government has the responsibility of making allocation within the UT, identification of families, issue of ration cards and distribution of foodgrains to the ration families.

The PDS has evolved country wide in 1960 to meet the critical food shortages in urban areas, later on extending to tribal blocks and areas of high incidence of poverty in 1970’s and 1980’s till June 1992 When a general entitlement scheme for all consumers without any specific target was launched in the shape of Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS).
In June 1997 the Government of India launched the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) with the focus on poor replacing the RPDS. The allocation to the foodgrains to the Sate/UT’s was made by the Government of India on the basis of average consumption in the past i.e. average Annual off - take of foodgrains for the PDS during the past 10 years at the time of introduction of TPDS.

The UT Government from 1st February, 2016 has implemented National Food Security Act, 2013. Under this Act, the eligible beneficiaries under priority households (PHH) are entitled to receive 5kgs of food grains per soul per month at subsidized prices of Rs.3/2/1 per kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains. However, the existing beneficiaries under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), which constitute the poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 kg of food grains per household per month.

Under Non-Priority Households (NPHH) category the beneficiaries are provided foodgrains at a scale of 05 kg/soul per month at a subsidized price of Rs.12 per Kg for wheat, Rs.13 per Kg for Atta & Rs.15 per Kg for Rice.

At present the department is providing highly subsidized foodgrains to 74.13 lakh souls under Priority Households (PHH) of the UT at a rate of Rs 3 and Rs 2 for Rice and Wheat respectively. The department is also providing subsidized foodgrains to around 45 lakh souls under Non-Priority Households (NPHH) @ Rs. 12, Rs. 13 & Rs. 15 for Wheat, Atta and Rice Respectively.

Legal Metrology Department

The Department earlier known as Weights and Measures Department is mainly responsible for enforcement of Metric System i.e. MKS (Meter, Kilogram, second) replacing the outdated FPS (Foot pound and second), to bring uniformity in respect of Weights and Measures in trade and commerce and regulate sale of goods in package form with MRP, packaging Date, Net Weight, Name of the Manufacturer/ importer etc distinctly indicated thereon. The J&K Consumer Protection Act has been amended, empowering the officers of Legal and Metrology Department to institute cases in consumer courts on behalf of aggrieved consumers. The Department creates awareness among consumers regarding their rights and receives complaints against unfair trade practices for appropriate action against the defaulters.

Regulation Of Supplies, LPG And Other Petroleum Products

Various Oil Companies are providing services to the public of the UT by supplying K.Oil and LPG through their own network of distributors and retailers. The UT is allocated about 7000 KL of K.Oil on monthly basis which is allotted by the Central Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The CAPD and Legal Metrology Departments are the regulatory authorities and frequently make inspections both at the level of LPG filling Station, stockiests, retailers of K.Oil outlets and LPG.

Price/Market Control

The prices of specified essential commodities are fixed by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar in consultation with the representatives of concerned trade, representatives of concerned Govt. Department and the consumer protection organizations while deliberating upon the issue factors like input costs, wholesale prices, distribution expenses and profit margin of the wholesaler/retailers are taken into account and only then the prices are fixed. To ensure adherence to the notified prices checking squads are in position.

In the districts this responsibility is discharged by the concerned Deputy Commissioner, who are the District Controllers.