Delhi govt says corona rations reaching people, says NGO’s plea politically motivated

The Delhi Government has informed the Delhi High Court that it has distributed 99% of the food grains procured under the Mukhya Mantri Corona Sahayata Yojana to beneficiaries.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh was hearing a plea seeking distribution and complete utilization of food grains and dry ration kits purchased under the aforementioned scheme for the needy and the eligible.

Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi Government, submitted that over 63 lakh beneficiaries have been provided food grain under the scheme and termed the petition to be “politically motivated”. 

The Bench has directed the Delhi Government to file its response and posted the matter for October 11. The petition was filed by NGO Sampurna through Advocate Prashant Rawat alleging that under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Corona Sahayata Yojana’, the Delhi Government purchased dry ration kits and food grains in huge volume during March-April 2020, without having any rational data and analysis. It is further alleged that all the food grains/dry ration kits that were purchased have not been distributed amongst the non-PDS strata and that the said goods are lying in storage and are thereby, getting spoiled or wasted.

The plea states thus:

“That one of the SDMC School had informed that all the ration including the kits stocked in the school, is getting spoiled in the storage instead of distribution amongst the needy. It is submitted that in the similar manner ration & the kits are being spoiled due to the negligence of the Respondent no.1 (Delhi Government) at different places/schools in Delhi.”

In light of the above, the plea seeks distribution and complete utilization of food grains and dry ration kits purchased under the said scheme and a direction to the Delhi Government to ensure that no food grain and ration items get wasted or spoiled lying at storage. The plea seeks a further direction for framing of strict and clear guidelines to regulate the distribution of food grains and dry ration kits o the needy persons. Also, the plea prays for a strict action against the officers responsible for misappropriation of fund and for negligent act leading to wastage of food grains. Furthermore, the plea prays for a direction to the Centre to frame guidelines and a monitoring system to ensure that no food grains go wasted under the PDS & Non-PDS Distribution System.

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On July 8, the Bench issued notice in the matter and sought response from the Delhi Government while orally remarking that “there should be minimum wastage and maximum distribution to needy and poor persons”.