On Monday, the Delhi government’s Doorstep Delivery of Ration Scheme was opposed by the Centre while submitting before the Delhi High Court that the architecture of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) cannot be mitigated while implementing it.
The State has to fall into the architecture of the law, and the fair price shops are an integral part of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), said the Centre.
The matter was heard for several hours by a bench of Justices Jasmeet Singh and Vipin Sanghi, and it was said that it would continue to hear Centre’s arguments on November 29, said the bench.
The Delhi government’s scheme for doorstep delivery of ration, Mukhyamantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojna, was challenged by the Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh, and a plea was heard by the court regarding this matter.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhatti, who was representing the Centre, said that they have no role in the selection of fair price shop owners. It is not that the system was set up by them, and the State is prejudiced; the State government has chosen it.
General Aishwarya Bhatti further added that although obligations of both the Central and state government are mandated by the Act, the State is responsible for the processes to be executed as mandated under the Act.
Monika Arora, the standing counsel of the Central government, along with Ms Bhati, said that if the State government wants to give higher benefits than the NFSA, they are free to do so. However, the architecture of the Act cannot be mitigated or mitigated by the State government.
The AAP government was directed by the Delhi High Court to not stop or curtail the supply of flour or foodgrains to fair price shops as the Supreme Court did not entertain the Centre’s plea on November 15.
The High Court order, which was under challenge, was an interim order, and on November 22, the matter was listed before the High Court, and therefore it would not be entertained, said the top court.
Around 69 lakh people out of 72 lakh people have opted for the Doorstep Delivery of Ration Scheme, said the Delhi Government. They further added that it was a voluntary scheme.
This scheme is for the poor people who are threatened to opt-out of the home delivery mode by the fair price shop owners; otherwise, the ration would not be provided to them, said the Delhi government while defending its Doorstep Delivery Ration Scheme in the National Capital territory scheme.