A welfare state must ensure that nobody dies of hunger, the Supreme Court observed as it pressed for the framing of a pan-India scheme to run community kitchens across the states.
AGENCIES
Observing that people are ‘suffering from hunger and dying of it’ , the Supreme Court Tuesday directed the government to develop a scheme for creating community kitchens. It also suggested consulting state governments to take care of hunger deaths or malnutrition of children.
The Apex court was hearing a plea seeking the setting up of community kitchens across the country to address hunger and malnutrition.
The court was hearing a petition filed by a bunch of social activists led by Anun Dhawan, seeking directives to the Centre and all states for starting subsidised canteens and community kitchens in all states to ensure food security in the wake of the crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana told Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, “See, if you want to take care of hunger, no Constitution, law or court will say no. My suggestion again is… Already we’re delaying, so further adjournments won’t help… We’ll give you a final time of two weeks, please hold that meeting (with state governments to develop a scheme).”
The Additional Solicitor General, representing the Centre, submitted that the issues which are raised in the writ petition with regard to creating community kitchens to take care of hunger deaths or malnutrition of children are under active consideration of the Centre, which is awaiting expert reports on the subject.
The bench said that unless state governments are involved, it is difficult to implement the scheme, and the Centre should come out with some policy decision to implement the community kitchen scheme after taking into consideration the other similar schemes relating to community kitchens, which are already in operation in different states.
During the hearing, the top court was informed that incidents of hunger deaths and malnutrition of children have been reported from five states — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Bihar.
The Chief Justice told the Centre that “people are dying of hunger and malnutrition is a separate issue, do not mix them”, adding that it is not bothered about the international malnutrition index, but it’s only aim is to curb the hunger issues in the country.
The bench said that for any welfare state, the first responsibility is not to allow people to die of hunger.
At the beginning of the hearing, the bench, also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli, slammed the Centre, stating that it appears from the affidavit and submissions of the Centre that it is still in the process of gathering suggestions on the matter.
The bench noted, “It looks like the government is not in a mood to implement the scheme…”
After hearing detailed arguments in the matter, the top court said that it will grant three weeks’ time to the Central government to come up with some scheme, which is agreeable to various state governments.
“We feel that there is a need to coordinate with the state governments/Union Territories and their opinion should also be taken into consideration by the Union of India before finalisation of the Community Kitchen Scheme,” the top court said in its order.