No discrimination in providing relief kits, foodgrains: AAP government tells Delhi HC

The petitioner’s grievance was that discrimination was being done by the authorities between the ration card holders and non-ration card holders in providing corona relief kits and foodgrains.

(Image used for representation) Volunteers on Saturday distribute masks, food, clothes and blankets to the migrants who are stuck at Palace Grounds after they lost their belongings in the heavy rain that destroyed their temporary shelter on Friday. | megh

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has informed the high court that it was not indulging in any discrimination between ration and non-ration card holders in providing relief kits and foodgrain ensuring that no person remains hungry due to the coronavirus lockdown.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, conducting the hearing through video conferencing, noted that several steps have been taken by the Delhi government to provide foodgrain and cooked food to the public at large irrespective of the fact whether they have ration cards or not.

Holding that no further directions were required to be passed at this stage, the bench said: “We expect from the respondents (Delhi government) that the schemes floated by them shall be scrupulously followed for the welfare of the public at large and may continue even after the lockdown period is over.” The court passed the order while disposing of a plea by NGO Nayee Soch Society seeking direction to the authorities to provide relief kit, foodgrain and food relief of the same level and status to ration cardholders and Aadhaar Card and voter card holders from March 24 till the operation of Disaster Management Act due to Covid-19.

The petitioner’s grievance was that discrimination was being done by the authorities between the ration card holders and non-ration card holders in providing corona relief kits and foodgrains. The court, however, noted the submissions of Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain and Delhi government additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal, representing the Delhi government, that there are hunger relief centres where ration card holders and non-card holders get cooked food for free.

(With PTI inputs)