KISHWTAR, Jun 24: In order to gear up the field agency to attend the public issues related to the department and monitor the supply of essential items including Public Distribution System (PDS), the Director, Rajesh Kumar Shavan conducted extensive five (05) days tour in the field.
During the tour, the officer inspected foodstore Matigwarn, Mir-Bazar and interacted with the employees and the inhabitants. He also visited the foodstores and Fair Price Shops at Warwan and held public meetings to get the feedback about the functioning of the department.
The inhabitants expressed satisfaction and appreciation for the sustained efforts of the Department in ensuring the regular and timely supply of quality, hygienic foodgrains under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in these geographically challenging and inaccessible areas.
The public particularly acknowledged the Department’s proactive initiative of undertaking advance dumping of foodgrains for a period of six months (June 2026 to November 2026), which has been successfully carried out to ensure uninterrupted availability of essential foodgrains and to meet any exigencies arising from adverse weather conditions and disruption of road connectivity. During the interactions, the public projected several demands and issues for consideration.
The major concerns included enhancement of the existing ration scale, transfer and verification of LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), improvement in LPG supply and allied services, and provision of subsidized Kerosene Oil (K-Oil) for the inhabitants of these remote areas. At Marwah, the officer visited Ranie, Yourdu and Nowapachi.
The public there demanded strengthening of departmental infrastructure through repair and renovation of the Food Stores at Inshan and Nowpachi, construction of a dedicated Food Store at Warwan, improvement of road connectivity to Food Store Nowpachi, and creation of residential accommodation and office infrastructure for departmental officials posted in the area.
On the day of International Yoga Day, the Director joined the Tehsil and Sub Divisional authorities at Marwah and participated in yoga session at Govt. HSS Yourdu.
It is pertinent to mention here that Rajesh Kumar Shavan during his tour also visited the last human settlement of the region village Sukhnie situated at the height of more than 9000 feet from the mean sea level.
He is thus first Director, FCS&CA, Jammu to visit such far flung area of the belt in the history as claimed by the general public of that area. The public was enthusiastic to receive him and also put forth all their demand related to the department. They demanded new sale depots in the nearby vicinity to overcome the hardships.
Worthwhile to mention that Marwah/Warwan is the remotest area of Kishtwar where ration dispatches remain a challenging task and therefore in view of the geographical barriers, six (06) months ration is dumped in advance in the winters.