Relief for West Bengal government as Calcutta High Court upholds doorstep ration scheme

In a big boost for the Mamata Banerjee-led government on Thursday, the Calcutta High Court upheld the validity of the West Bengal Duare Ration scheme. It was challenged by fair price shop dealers who contended that the state government cannot frame any scheme relating to the distribution of ration items which is dealt with by the Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2015, issued by the Centre. However, Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya observed that WB was not in conflict with the Centres order as it did not disrupt the transportation of foodgrains from godowns to the fair price shop. 

The single-judge bench order mentioned, "Shorn of statutory interpretations, it appears that the Duare Ration Scheme was born out of the restrictions imposed on the mobility of ordinary citizens during the pandemic. It may be envisaged as an extension of the across-the-board initiatives to deliver essentials at the doorstep of consumers. The noticeable trend during the period of lockdown was the exponential increase in online delivery of goods to consumers without the consumers having to physically travel for purchasing such goods."

It added, "The Scheme can hence be seen as a step in the direction to help ordinary ration card holders to tide over the difficulties in the wake of the pandemic. From this perspective, the Duare Ration Scheme may be perceived as a reform in the targeted public distribution system and a welfare scheme formulated for reaching food and nutritional security as a necessity-driven measure to tide over the extant existential challenge". Finding no basis to declare this scheme ultra vires the Constitution, Justice Bhattacharya dismissed the plea without imposing any costs on the petitioners.

The Duare Ration scheme

One of the main promises of TMC before the 2021 WB Assembly election, this scheme entails the delivery of ration at the doorsteps of beneficiaries by fair price shop dealers. Launching the scheme at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on November 16, WB CM Mamata Banerjee remarked, "This Duare Ration scheme will help 10 crore people of the state. I will request all the ration dealers to make it a success. Many states are trying to emulate schemes of West Bengal". On this occasion, she revealed that the state government will provide Rs.1 lakh each to nearly 21,000 dealers to purchase vehicles for delivering ration.