Public welfare schemes by Centre, Delhi govt must continue even post lockdown: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday stated that even post the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, it expected the Centre and the Delhi Government to continue with the welfare schemes that it had floated during this period. The division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, was listening to a PIL seeking distribution of relief material and food grains to Aadhar card and voter ID cardholders. The petition moved by NGO Nayee Soch Society alleged that the coronavirus relief kits containing food grains etc were not being distributed to non-ration cardholders. 

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While listening to the PIL, the court said that the respondents "may also take steps to enhance the benefits of the schemes to realise their objective that no person in Delhi should go hungry amid the lockdown."

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Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain appearing for Delhi Government submitted that there is no discrimination being done between the ration cardholder and non-ration cardholder adding that adequate steps were being taken to ensure that no one suffers from starvation in Delhi. He also stated that the government is providing dry ration to all persons in need of food, even those who do not possess ration-card.

"There are a number of schemes floated by the respondents as stated by the State Government as well as by the Central Government. Moreover, there are hunger relief centres in which ration cardholders, as well as those who are not having ration cards, can enter and get cooked food free of charge," the court observed. 

"Thus, care has been taken by the respondents to provide food grains and cooked food whether that person is having a ration card or not. Thus, grievances by the petitioner about the discrimination between the ration cardholders and others is not tenable," added the court while dismissing the PIL.

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(With ANI Inputs)