Delhi HC issues notices to Centre, Delhi Govt on plea seeking free meals to needy amid COVID

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and Delhi Government on Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan petition seeking to ensure resumption of hunger relief centers for providing free hot cooked meals to all in view of the recent restrictions imposed in the national capital amid rising cases of COVID-19.

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and Delhi Government on Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan petition seeking to ensure resumption of hunger relief centers for providing free hot cooked meals to all in view of the recent restrictions imposed in the national capital amid rising cases of COVID-19. A Divison Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh asked Centre and Delhi Government to file a reply and listed the matter for May 13.

The Court was hearing a plea filed by Delhi Rozi-Roti Adhikar Abhiyan through advocate Prasanna S. The petitioner told the court that in view of the second COVID-19 wave and with fresh restrictions having been announced last week, the petitioner organisation last week wrote to the Delhi Government urging to provide free hot cooked meals to homeless shelters and dedicated relief centers and ensure no person desirous of obtaining food is turned away from these centers.

With tighter restrictions, lockdowns, and curfews on the anvil, it has therefore become imperative that immediate and urgent directions are needed to alleviate the suffering both in the short term and in the medium term as the pandemic and the declaration of disaster under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act are nowhere close to its end, the petitioner said. Therefore, the petitioner has urged the Delhi High Court to resume its scheme of providing dry rations under the Mukhya Mantri Corona Sahayta Yojna (MMCSY) scheme, or any other scheme designed for that purpose to all those who applied for e-coupons for availing rations under the said scheme and other poor and needy persons who require rations to ensure that they don't go hungry until further orders of this court.

It also sought direction to Delhi Govt to resume accepting e-coupon applications and resume operating kiosks and helpdesks facilitating such applications for the purpose of receiving benefits for all residents not already covered under the regular PDS scheme under the National Food Security Act, 2013, until further orders of this court. (ANI)

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