In a bid to prevent deaths due to starvation and malnutrition, the Delhi High Court has directed the central and the Delhi government to issue ration cards to the marginalized sections of the society to enable them to receive ration from the Fair Price Shop (FDS) situated near their residence

 

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Saturday directed the Centre and Delhi government to evolve a policy for those who do not have a ration card. A bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel passed the order on a petition filed by a lawyer seeking a direction to prevent deaths due to starvation and malnutrition. Lawyer Maneesh Pathak, in his plea, submitted that minor children in the slums, especially those who do not have ration cards, are facing starvation and malnutrition.

“If the marginalized persons of the society are not getting a ration card, it is the duty of the Centre and Delhi government to issue them ration cards to enable them to receive ration from the Fair Price Shop (FDS) situated near their residence,” the court further stated.

The petitioner stated that he filed the petition after the tragic death of three minors in Delhi’s Mandawali area due to starvation and malnutrition last year. He said that such deaths are on the rise in states like Jharkhand and Odisha, too. The plea stated,

The court also asked the government to examine if it was possible to remunerate the FPS licensees for the onerous task of survey and verification of ration card holders.

It, however, asked the FPS licensees to continue with the verification work to the best of their abilities and listed the matter for further hearing on October 1.

The court was hearing a plea by the Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh (DSRDS) which has sought quashing of two notifications of 2009 and 2018 which state that FPS licensees have to carry out the survey and verification of ration cards