PIL for setting community kitchens, SC reprimands states

The Supreme Court chastised several states for failing to respond to a PIL seeking setting up of community kitchens across the country. SC also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on states failing to file an affidavit on the PIL.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on several states for failing to file their affidavits on a PIL seeking setting up of community kitchens across the country.

SC has imposed 5 lakh as penalty on Center and states for failing to file an affidavit with details of steps being taken for ensuring food security and setting up community kitchens for poor/homeless.

A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana said if states file an affidavit within 24 hours they will have to pay 1 lakh as a penalty, failing that, the states will have to pay a sum of 5 lakh as fine.

The hearing has been pending and delayed due to delay by states for five months.

SC said that it's unfortunate that the centre/states have not responded.

Only five states and two union territories have filed affidavits on food security and community kitchens - Andaman and Nicobar, J&K, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Nagaland.

No reply has been filed by the Center.

The court had on October 18 favoured setting up of community kitchens, saying the country needs this kind of system to tackle the problem of hunger.

Next hearing in the case on Monday 17 February.

(With inputs from PTI)