Jammu: A high-level team of officers on Saturday visited Mini Township Jagti to review on-ground implementation of the Special Relief Ration Scheme for Kashmiri and Jammu migrant families notified by the Jammu and Kashmir Government earlier this year.
The team comprised Director Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Jammu, RK Shavan; Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) J&K, Arvind Karwani; and Additional Secretary, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, Sudhir Bali, along with officers from various concerned departments.
Officials reviewed the implementation of the scheme notified through Government Order No. 15-JK(FCS&CA) of 2026 dated March 5, 2026.
According to officials, the scheme became operational across designated ration depots in Jammu province from April 18, 2026, and nearly 7,000 migrant families have already received free ration under the scheme.
The visiting team was informed that around 19,500 migrant ration cards have been integrated into the National Food Security Act (NFSA) database, while another 8,000 applications are currently under process.
Under the scheme, relief ration card holders — irrespective of categories such as PHH, NPHH or Special Category — are being provided 11 kilograms of free ration per person per month along with one kilogram of sugar.
Migrants falling under the non-relief category, including pensioners categorised as NPHH, are being provided five kilograms of ration at government-approved NFSA rates.
During interactions with beneficiaries at various locations in Jagti township, which houses more than 5,000 migrant families, officials clarified that beneficiaries who could not collect ration during April would be allowed to collect a two-month quota covering April and May during the current month.
The officers also assured residents that those who received lesser quantities due to technical glitches would be provided the remaining ration and issued on-the-spot directions for timely correction of ration card-related issues.
A special camp was also organised by the Social Welfare Department to facilitate eligible migrants in applying for various welfare schemes.
Officials informed that nearly 600 migrant families are already availing benefits of old-age pension, widow pension, disability pension and marriage assistance schemes after integration of migrant ration cards into the NFSA database, in addition to monthly relief benefits.
The visiting team also cautioned people against “false propaganda” being circulated on social media regarding discontinuation of migrant status after integration with the NFSA database.
Officials clarified that cash assistance to all relief card holders had already been released up to date and reiterated that integration of migrant ration cards into the NFSA database was being carried out strictly in accordance with government orders and rules.
They said the move was aimed at enabling migrant families to access benefits under various welfare schemes without affecting their migrant status or relief entitlements.
Officials added that migrants had remained deprived of these benefits for nearly 35 years because their ration cards were non-digitised and not linked with the national database.
The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department and the National Informatics Centre (NIC), officials said, are working in coordination with the Relief Organisation to fully operationalise the scheme for all migrant families at the earliest.
