Context :
‘No citizen should die of hunger,’ says SC in migrant workers
matter /
The Print / 21 July 2022
Extract :
The Supreme Court on
Thursday while hearing a matter relating to migrant labourers remarked that no citizen should die of hunger and said that it was most
concerning that there were
deaths due to hunger.
When the court was apprised
that a large number of migrant workers are without
ration cards, the bench of justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna said, “no citizen
should die of hunger and it is most concerning that there were deaths due to
hunger.”
The bench observed that
migrants and other workers are the backbone of the country and they must be
provided rations at subsidized rates.
The court further
observed that in villages and in marginalised communities people tie
a tight cloth around their stomachs to suppress their hunger pangs.
It was pointed out by the
petitioners that the central government had failed to undertake any
exercise to re-determine coverage under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)
and as a result, more than 10 crore people who
should have been issued ration cards were left out of the purview of
the food security net.
MY
TAKE :
I am surprized ( and shocked ) that the Supreme Court
failed to ask the Government :
“ Even if you manage to issue ration cards to those 10
Crore poor people, do they
have money to buy that subsidized ration ?
We think, millions among those 10 crore, just don’t
have money to buy ration
A few who may have the money to buy ration, do not have
money to buy LPG
cylinder or even chopped wood
How do you plan to ensure that they do not die due to
hunger ?
Some 6 months ago, we had
asked you to come up within 3 weeks, a :
National
Policy on Community Kitchens
Your Food Ministry even formed a committee of Food
Secretaries from 8 States to
frame such a policy
Since then, we have heard nothing from you in this
matter
We ask you to give us , within 3 weeks, your response
to the following proposed
scheme, received from a citizen :
I
urge the Group of Food Secretaries to consider following suggestions when
formulating the Scheme :
[ A ] Involvement / Participation
Ø This scheme should
involve total involvement of
all the States. They
should be made responsible for its implementation and monitoring (
within their respective States )
[ B ] Organizational Framework
Ø Much similar to GST
COUNCIL , this scheme must have an MANAGING
COUNCIL, consisting of Food Secretaries from ALL the States
Ø This Council may be
named “ No One Starving Or
Hungry in
India ( NOSOHI )
“
Ø NOSOHI will
formulate Framework - Rules – Regulations – Systems –
Procedures etc re this
scheme
Ø Proposed Framework
may incorporate the desirable elements of Co-
operative Movement , enshrined in the examples of AMUL / LIJJAT Papad
/ Anganwadi etc., which would convey the “ Spirit of Service “
[ C ] Generation of Self Employment
Ø The scheme should
enable a large number of destitute
women to
participate and
become Self-Employed
Ø In the towns /
villages / cities, selected by the State Governments, some
State Ministry must
be tasked with the job of encouraging formation of
Women’s
Community Kitchen Co-Op Societies,
who shall manage these Community Kitchens
Ø To each such “
approved / enlisted “ Society, State Government will make
available the
physical premises ( with water / power ). The size of
premises will be linked to the number of poor hungry persons to be fed
by the Society, every day ( pre-determined )
Ø To each such Society,
the Central Government shall make available ( free
of cost ) :
# All Kitchen equipment ( including Gas Chulhas + Gas
Cylinders ). In
course of time, when available commercially, these gas stoves should be
replaced with Solar Cookers / Chulhas .
# All tables / chairs required for the Dining Area ( No food shall be allowed
to be taken
out )
# All Storage equipment, including Refrigerators ( for
Cereals and for
cooked food )
# All Ancilliary equipment ( including cleaning equipment )
Downside of
my above-mentioned suggestion :
Ø Creation of such
a huge infrastructure is very difficult in a short time
Ø Once created ( at a
huge Capital and Recurring Expense ), it is very
difficult to administer
Ø There will be leakages
and corruption ( in Supply Chain )
I
urge the group of Secretaries to also consider following alternative :
NGO serves up free meals
for kin of poor patients at JJ hospital / TOI / 28
Nov 2021
Highlights :
I
found that an NGO distributes free food here,” said Patil.
He
is among 600 people , all relatives of patients, who benefit from the scheme of
Fazlani Aishabai and Haji Abdul Latif Charitable
Trust. ( info@aishabaitrust.com )
“ Relatives of many patients eat a vada pav for
lunch or dinner. Two square meals a
day in Mumbai costs Rs 150 –200, and the poor cannot afford this “, trust
Chairman Abdul Kader Fazlani (roc.fazfoundation@sopariwala.com) had said
earlier
Procured
from an ISO-certified caterer, the free meals are given twice a day.
“
As per our Chairman’s instructions, the food should be NUTRITIOUS and
there
should be no compromise on QUALITY.
We have kept it VEGETARIAN so
that nobody has any hesitation in accepting it “ ,
said Trust CEO Shabir Mushtaq Mir, adding that they often make surprise visits to
the caterer’s kitchen to ensure QUALITY and HYGIENE
“ Beneficiaries get food coupons a day ahead so that the trust’s
VOLUNTEERS
know the NUMBER of FOOD PACKETS they need to arrange for that day. We
ensure ZERO WASTAGE for the FOOD “, said Mir
Dear
Secretaries :
While
drafting your Community Kitchen Scheme , irrespective of its proposed
structure, I urge you
to incorporate the following provisions :
Ø Hungry person who queues up
to collect COUPONS or FOOD PACKET,
will NOT be
asked ANY QUESTION, whatsoever
Please do not HUMILIATE a poor hungry human !
Ø He / she will not be asked :
# Domicile
– Nationality – Name – Address – any Identity Card /
Document – Community – Religion –Caste –Age – whether employed /
jobless etc
Ø Although you may recommend installation
of a FACIAL RECOGNITION system at
each kitchen, it will be for the sole purpose of keeping count ( of the numbers
served each lunch / dinner ) and to avoid DUPLICATE issues to same person.
Ø No beneficiary will be allowed to take
the FOOD PACKET, outside the kitchen. It
must be consumed inside the kitchen’s Dining Area only
Ø However, your scheme should provide
for taking home the Food Packets, in
cases of OLD-SICK-INVALID-BED RIDDEN, poor humans who just cannot walk
up to the nearest kitchen. In such cases, relative / family member /friend or an
NGO volunteer may be allowed to take out the food packet, after entering full “
SICK BENEFICIARY DATA “ in a centrally computerized system
Incidentally, all over India, religious
trusts are running FREE " Bhojanalaya " ,
serving meals to thousands
of devotees every day. One such Community Kitchen
is at Sarangpur in Gujarat which claims to be running
this service for past 100
years ( 24 x 7 ) , with 30 lakh ( 3 million ) being
served every year
With regards,
Related Readings :
