Ration depots across the Kashmir valley are running short of sugar supplies pushing the consumers for buying the sweet commodity in the open market at unaffordable prices.
The shortage, according to sources, emerged after Directorate of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) failed to process the tendering for sugar procurement on time.
Director, CAPD Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah while admitting that there is acute shortage of sugar in the valley, said the department is already in the process of opening tenders. However he said the supplies will be available shortly as the department will process it as quickly as possible.
According to sources CAPD earlier failed to invite fresh tenders for procurement of sugar for Kashmir division, extending it to the same firm for three months in violation of norms.
According to official documents, lying with Greater Kashmir, the department had allocated the tender to a Varanasi-based firm M/S Beta Edible Processing Private Limited for procurement of sugar, vide order No. 29 (PIg) DCAPDK of 2015, dated July 6, 2015.
The contract with the firm ended in September 2015. However, the authorities extended it for next three months vide order No. 165-DCAPK of 2015, dated November 11, 2015.
Though, the fresh tenders were invited after inordinate delay but were not opened to allocate it to the deserving firm under rules. “This inordinate delay is the reason for shortage of sugar in valley,” the sources said.
Consumers from most of the districts in Kashmir division complained about shortage of sugar supplies from last more than one month.
“The sugar is not available on depots. It was not distributed even in February putting us to immense hardship,” said a consumer from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
This newspaper received similar complaints from dozens of villages in many districts including Kulgam, Shopian, Budgam, Bandipora, Pulwama and Ganderbal.
“The cost of one kilogram of sugar in the market now Rs 40 to Rs 50. The sugar prices vary from shop to shop but the CAPD officials are nowhere in sight,” said Abid Gul of Habba Kadal.