Ensure every poor citizen gets essentials for free: Telangana HC

“The poor beneficiaries should be exempted from the biometric scanning during the lockdown period.
Telangana High Court. (File Photo| EPS)
Telangana High Court. (File Photo| EPS)

HYDERABAD: Expressing concern over the plight of the poor during lockdown, a division bench of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the State Civil Supplies Commissioner not to subject them to biometric scanning while distributing free 12-kg rice and other essentials. Further, the bench asked the Commissioner to ensure that all the poor, including the migrant labourers, tribals and those who do not have white ration cards, get free rice and other essentials.

“The poor beneficiaries should be exempted from the biometric scanning during the lockdown period. Tribals work in extreme conditions and going by their age and other factors, their fingerprints get erased. Given this, insisting on biometric scanning will deprive them of the essentials that they badly need now,” the bench observed. The bench comprising Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice K Lakshman passed this order through a video conference in a PIL filed by SQ Masood, a social activist. He contended that by cancelling a huge number of white ration cards, the Telangana government has deprived the BPL families of the essentials. 

After hearing the case, the bench ordered that migrant labourers belonging to other States should also be provided free 12-kg rice and other essentials. Replying to a query from the bench, State Advocate General BS Prasad told the court that the government has taken steps to ensure that all the beneficiaries, including those whose ration cards have been cancelled, would be provided all the essentials. After passing the orders, the bench posted the matter to June 2 for further hearing.
 

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