NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing stalemate in the national capital due to the power tussle between the AAP dispensation and the office of Lieutenant Governor, the Delhi government’s flagship scheme to door deliver ration has run into another roadblock. The Food and Supplies Department has sent the proposal back to the government stating that the drive cannot be implemented as “in case of conflict between Central and state law on a subject listed in the Concurrent List, the Central law prevails over the state”.
Quoting the Supreme Court order, the department stated: “The power of the Council of Ministers of Delhi spans over all subjects in the Concurrent List except three subjects. However, if the Parliament makes law in respect of certain subject falling in the State List or the Concurrent List, the executive action of the state must conform to the law made by the Parliament.”
“Now, the National Food Security Act does not state any such service of delivering ration at doorstep, Delhi’s action in this front is against the rules,” said a top-ranking official at the Food and Supplies Department. The department has stated that the move will increase security risks and it will put a huge burden on the public exchequer.“For the new scheme, we will have to hire a good amount of manpower to deliver the supplies. Besides, the new scheme proposes to deliver wheat flour, rice and sugar, in sealed packets. We don’t have the infrastructure to grind the grains and hence it will further increase the expenditure,” said the official.
The latest development comes after the Delhi Chief Minister overruled the department’s move sending the file to the Law Department citing that the matter the comes under the purview of National Food Security Act enacted by Parliament.
The AAP government had initiated the e-PoS system in pilot mode at 46 shops. After assessing the potential of the shift, the new system was rolled out across the city in January this year. However, in February, the government was seen opposing the system alleging deficiencies and seeking its withdrawal and substitution with a new system of doorstep delivery.