New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the central government's petition against the Delhi government's doorstep ration delivery scheme as it is pending before the Delhi High Court (HC) and is listed for hearing on 22 November.
The bench comprising Justice L. Nageswara Rao and Justice BR Gavai asked the Centre and the Delhi government to not ask for adjournment so that decision can be taken expeditiously, on the same day. Delhi government told the court on record that the scheme is in progress and will not be implemented this week.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, argued that they are not opposing the scheme just for the sake of it but it is against the National Food Security Act, which provides for distribution of food grains.
"The broad question is whether a state government can deviate from the mode of distribution prescribed by the Act," argued Mehta. He said that first food grains are given to the licensed Fair Price Shops from where people take collect it. Fair price shops distribute essentials to ration card holders under Essential Commodities Act.
"Now the government(Delhi) says that they will not supply to Fair Price shops but to agency (private) who will process the grain into atta and that atta will be supplied to beneficiary. We don't know what amount will be supplied, what quality will be supplied? If there is no monitoring, what will be the position," said Mehta. "Private agencies distributing door-to-door; and what would be the quality and quantity, nobody knows. There is no accountability."
On 27 September, the Delhi HC had allowed the Delhi government to cut supplies to Fair Price shops as some people had opted for home delivery. SG Mehta highlighted that there are people like rickshaw pullers, rag pickers, slum dwellers, migrants etc ,who do not have permanent address and therefore it would not be fair. He said that this could also disrupt One Nation One Card Scheme.
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Senior Advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government, said that the scheme is optional and out of 72 lakhs, 69 lakhs people have opted for home deliveries. He said that 'there is Amazon delivery, home delivery, liquor delivery. etc. then what is the problem with the ration delivery?.
Adding on further, he said that black marketers wanted to stop the scheme by ruling out home deliveries. He also said that the scheme is compatible with One Nation One Ration Card Scheme and is using the same biometric.
After hearing the matter at length, the bench left the matter to the Delhi HC to decide and disposed of the petition in SC.
