Jammu, Mar 07: Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (M) J&K, Dr. Arvind Karwani chaired a meeting to review the progress of integration of ration cards of Kashmiri and Jammu migrants on the National Food Security Act (NFSA) database and extension of benefits of social sector schemes to migrant beneficiaries.
Deputy Commissioner (Relief), Chief Accounts Officer, Assistant Commissioners Relief, Deputy Director FCS&CA, Zonal Officers / Camp Commandants, concerned Tehsildars of different districts of Jammu Province and officials from different line departments attended the meeting.
The Relief & Rehabilitation Commissioner(M) highlighted the importance of time bound completion of the exercise of integration of migrant ration cards of Kashmiri and Jammu Migrants, in terms of the Government notifications issued on the subject, wherein the necessary amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Food Security Rules, 2021 and Targeted Public Distribution (Control) Order 2023, have been done to enable migrants to avail the benefit of various Government schemes, without affecting the extant scale of ration distribution and migrant status.
The migrant beneficiaries were not earlier able to avail benefit of various social sector schemes like old pensions, scholarships and marriage assistance due to the fact that their ration cards were non-digitized and not integrated with the national database. After the launching of the new PDS portal by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, the process of integration of about 50,000 migrant families into the national database has now been initiated. The migrants were also facing difficulties in availing benefits under Ayushman Bharat Scheme, which has also been redressed after transition into the NFSA database.
It was enjoined upon all the officers to ensure time bound completion of the exercise of integration of all migrant ration cards, and that all preparations are in place to ensure uninterrupted ration supply as per the Special Relief Ration Scheme for Kashmiri/Jammu migrants notified by the Government, which shall be operational w.e.f. 01-04-2026. Dr Karwani impressed upon all the officers to regularly organize outreach camps to facilitate public in integration of their NFSA applications and to avail benefit of various social sector schemes.
