NEW DELHI: Delhi Sarkari Ration Shop Owners' Association is all set to move the Supreme Court against the doorstep delivery of the ration scheme even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resent the scheme file to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for approval. “We will challenge the implementation of Delhi government’s doorstep delivery of ration scheme in the SC,” said Saurabh Gupta. Secretary of Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers' Sangh.
The Delhi government has been at loggerheads with the Centre for the past one year to get the scheme approved. Incidentally, the Delhi government has again sent the file on doorstep delivery of ration to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for his approval. The file was sent to Baijal twice earlier but he did not give approval, said sources.
Last week, in a “major setback” to the central government and the lieutenant governor, the Delhi High Court had allowed the Kejriwal government to conditionally implement the doorstep delivery scheme of rations, after which the chief minister has sent the file to Baijal, the statement said. “The high court has given permission to implement the scheme. Now we appeal to the L-G to approve the doorstep delivery of ration so that the scheme can be implemented in Delhi as soon as possible,” it added.
The scheme aims to procure ration from the central government to distribute it to the underprivileged in the city. As per the scheme, wheat would be picked up from the Food Corporation of India godown, then taken to a mill and ground into flour. Flour, sugar and rice would be packed in clean, hygienic sacks and ration packets and delivered to the beneficiary at their home.
The Fair Price Shop (FPS) owners’ union had filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court (HC). They stated the scheme was an attempt to formulate a ‘parallel privately’ owned Targeted Public Distribution System. It was completely against the National Food Security Act rules framed under the Public Distribution Control Order.
The government was set to start the scheme on March 25. But on March 19, the Centre raised objections to the implementation of the scheme. It said it couldn’t be named as ‘Mukhyamantri Ghar-Ghar Ration Yojna’. According to the Centre, the food grains allotted by the central department for distribution under the NFSA can’t be used for running a state-specific or any other scheme by any name other than NFSA.
Free ration for poor to continue
Kejriwal on Tuesday in a cabinet meeting decided to continue the free ration scheme for the poor. He said even those who were not recognised under the Public Distribution System would be covered. During Covid lockdowns, people without ration cards found themselves at the receiving end. These included migrant workers, unorganized workers, building and construction workers, domestic servants, etc. On May 25, Delhi Cabinet decided to provide free food grains.