Context :
Nobody
should go to sleep empty stomach, govt’s duty to ensure foodgrains reach the
last man: SC
( Indian Express / 06
Dec 2022 )
Extract
:
It is our culture to ensure nobody goes to sleep empty stomach,
the Supreme Court said on Tuesday and asked the central government to see to it
that foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) reaches the last
man. A bench of Justices M R Shah and Hima Kohli directed the Centre to submit
a fresh chart with the number of migrant and unorganised sector workers
registered on eShram portal.
“It is the duty of the central government to ensure foodgrains
under NFSA are reaching the last man. We are not saying that Centre is not
doing anything, the Union of India has ensured foodgrains to people during
Covid. At the same time, we have to see it continues. It is our culture (to
ensure) that nobody goes to sleep empty stomach,” the bench said.
It was hearing on its
own a public interest matter related to the plight of migrant workers during
the Covid pandemic and the resultant lockdowns.
Advocate Prashant
Bhushan, appearing for three social activists Anjali Bharadwaj, Harsh Mander
and Jagdeep Chhokar, said the country’s population has increased after the 2011
census and so has the number of beneficiaries covered under the NFSA.
He submitted many
eligible and needy beneficiaries will be deprived of the benefit under the law
if it is not enforced effectively.
Bhushan said the government is claiming the per capita income of
people has increased in recent years, but added India has slipped rapidly in
global hunger index.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the
Centre, submitted there are 81.35 crore beneficiaries under NFSA, a very large
number even in the Indian context.
The ASG said the 2011 census has not stopped the government from
adding more people to the list of beneficiaries which is growing.
Bhushan interjected to say 14 states have filed affidavit
stating their quota of foodgrains has been exhausted.
The matter is posted for resumed hearing on December 8.
The top court had earlier asked the Centre to ensure the benefits
of the NFSA are not limited by the 2011 census figures and more needy people
should be covered under the Act, terming the “Right to Food” a fundamental
right under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The per capita income in India has increased in real terms by
33.4 per cent since the enactment of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in
2013, the Centre had earlier told the apex court, insisting a large number of
households have transitioned to the higher income group.
“During last eight years, since the enactment of NFSA, per
capita income of the population in India has increased in real terms by 33.4
per cent. The rise in per capita income of people is bound to have taken a
large number of households to higher income class and they may not be as vulnerable
as they were in 2013-14,” the Centre had said in an affidavit.
The government notified the National Food Security Act, 2013 on
September 10, 2013 with the objective of providing for food and nutritional
security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable
prices to people to live a life with dignity.
The Act provides for coverage of up to 75 per cent of the rural
population and 50 per cent of the urban population for receiving subsidised
foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
In July, the top court had said migrant workers play a very
vital role in building the nation and their rights cannot be ignored at all,
and asked the Centre to devise a mechanism so they receive foodgrains even
without possessing ration cards.
It had observed that citizens are dying due to hunger despite
development and that modalities should be set out to ensure the maximum number
of migrant workers are given rations.
The top court had issued a slew of
directions to authorities on a plea by the three activists seeking welfare
measures for migrant workers and ordered states and Union Territories (UTs) to
frame schemes for providing free dry rations to them till the pandemic lasts.
It also asked the Centre to allocate additional foodgrains.
MY TAKE :
Ø BANMALI
has a sister named NuTree …………………………..[ 12 May 2022 ]
Extract :
Congratulations , Smt. Rekha Koita :
( Director . Koita Foundation )
( rekhak@koitafoundation.org / info@koitafoundation.org / rizwank@koitafoundation.com )
For launch of your Mobile App, NuTree
In this context, you might like to look
up my following suggestion for a similar
mobile App, which I called ,
BANMALI (Ban Malnutrition in India ), sent as email to our Cabinet
Ministers :
Ø Saving 1.2 million Kids ………………………………….[ 29 June 2016 ]
Which I followed up with following
e-mails :
A Mobile App named " BANMALI "…………………………………..
[ 15 Sept 2016 ]
BANMALI arrives : Named as Poshan Tracker…………………...[
17 Apr 2021 ]
Thank You, Smt Smriti Iraniji ………………………………………...
[ 08 Nov 2021 ]
There are no Starvation Deaths ?
………………………………… [19 Jan 2022 ]
With Regards,
Hemen Parekh
hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 30
Dec 2022
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