Centre, Delhi govt doing its best to provide ration to migrants at relief camps: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court while hearing a petition on the supply of food to the migrant labourers at relief camps observed that the Centre and the Delhi government were doing 'their best' to provide ration and essential items during these taxing times and amid multiple restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. 

A Division Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad heard the petition, filed by National Campaign Committee for the Eradication of Bonded Labour India News Communication Ltd, which sought better supply of food and dry ration to migrants and daily wage labours at relief camps in the capital city.

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The petitioners stated that there had been several instances where the daily wage workers stranded at relief camps had gone hungry revealing that in order to maintain social distancing, only some members of larger migrant labourer families went to collect food from distribution centres located 1 to 1.25 km away. They revealed that there had been numerous occasions where members of such families who were unable to go to the centres, were denied food packets.

After hearing the arguments, the court said, "There are limitations on the resources available to the government of NCT of Delhi and given the warlike situation existing on the ground, the extraordinary efforts being made by all the agencies both, at the Centre and the State, must be acknowledged."

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Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, representing the Delhi government agreed to the Court's suggestion that Nodal officers for the said camps shall be appointed and their names and mobile numbers for each of the aforesaid clusters shall be conveyed to counsel for the petitioner. Following this, the court disposed of the petition saying that no further order is required as the Delhi government has agreed to share names and mobile numbers of the appointed Nodal officers.

As per the Delhi government, about 3.54 crore units of cooked meals have been provided to the needy people as on April 20. The government said that 1,846 and 400 hunger relief centres have been set up by the GNCTD and the government in collaboration with various NGOs respectively at several places in Delhi. It said that it has decided that over one crore people who have been adversely hit by the lockdown will be given free ration. 

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(With Agency Inputs)