Mumbai (Maharashtra): The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to take a decision on whether it would procure additional food grains from the Food Corporation of India for supplying to migrant workers and other needy persons who do not have ration cards.
Justice S C Gupte gave the directive last Friday while hearing a petition filed by Pune resident Vanita Chavan, raising concerns over the supply of food grains to the poor and needy persons during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown.
In her plea, Chavan claimed there has not been proper distribution of food grains through ration shops in the state.
She sought a direction to the government to make available food grains to persons who do not have ration cards, like the migrant workers and wandering tribes.
The state government told the court on Friday that it has so far not taken a decision on the directive issued by the Centre allowing all states and Union Territories to increase their requirement of food grains under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSC) for distribution outside the targeted public distribution system.