The Supreme Court has reserved it’s verdict on a petition, which sought formulation of a community kitchen policy to avoid starvation deaths.
The Bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal initially refused to keep the petition alive on Tuesday. However, after much persuasion from the counsel representing the petitioner, the Apex Court granted a week’s time to file an updated convenience compilation.
Earlier in January 2022, the then Chief Justice of India NV Ramana had directed the Central government to formulate a national model scheme for community kitchens, keeping in view the different food habits of states and Union Territories.
The former CJI further directed the then Attorney General of India KK Venugopal to take a ‘humanitarian angle’ in the matter, noting that the hunger of poor people suffering on the streets should be satisfied.
Appearing for the petitioner on Tuesday, Advocate Ashima Mandla apprised the Bench that the Centre has to respond. It said since 2020, numerous undertakings have been given in the Court that Union government was coming up with a scheme.
It said the response filed here in the affidavit was that States were agreeable to start these kitchens to combat hunger, if the Central government provided for either food grains or any kind of funding.