2 weeks Ago By Dhananjay Mahapatra
The Supreme Court With NGOs and social activists trying to perpetuate Covid-time free ration to migrant labour, Centre on Monday told SC that it continued to provide foodgrain to the needy under Food Safety Act but strongly resisted what it called attempts by petitioners to run the country through PILs. Appearing for a PIL petitioner, activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the govt may be giving free ration to 80 crore people but had illegally left out 2-3 crore poor people from the scheme by telling states that stock of foodgrain meant to be distributed under the scheme was exhausted. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Manmohan said it may fall under the govt's policy domain to decide its food security scheme, but suggested to SG Tushar Mehta that if the financial status of 80 crore beneficiaries of free ration was re-evaluated and if a few crore people had crossed the below poverty line parameters, it could consider including those left out from the scheme.
The bench said states were indiscriminately issuing ration cards for free foodgrain knowing full well that it was the Centre's liability to provide grains. "If states are asked to provide free ration, then most of them would run away citing financial crunch," it said. Mehta said these proceedings were initiated suo motu by SC in 2020 when the pandemic was at its peak to ensure that no one went hungry.
"Bhushan is riding on that and trying to run the govt and frame policies," he said. "These NGOs and activists must file affidavits detailing what they did to help ameliorate the condition of the poor during the pandemic," the SG added. A hurt Bhushan said, "Mehta has a habit of making comments against me in every case he opposes me in SC as I had made public damaging emails featuring him.
" SG replied, "He cannot attempt to run govt. We have and will always oppose such attempts from him." Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India .
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