IMPACT: Migratory Shepherds Benefit from One Nation One ration Card Scheme

Hundreds of people from the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir belonging to several tribal and grazing communities cross into Kashmir valley with their flocks of sheep and goats every year in the summer season, to graze them in the highland pastures of Pirpanjal mountain range stretching across the south west of Kashmir. These shepherds have not been able to benefit from one nation one ration card scheme, which guarantees that a ration cardholder can collect his/her ration from any store of their choice run by the public supplies department. However, these Bakerwals were being denied service under the scheme and had to buy rations from the private shops at higher rates. After making a video report on this, the CC interviewed the joint director of the consumer affairs department and informed him about this issue by screening the issue video, upon which an order was issued across Kashmir to all the govt run shops to ensure that everyone is supplied ration at the place of their choice. Around 2000 tribals alone in Baramulla are now collecting rations from any ration depot of the govt.