Delhi HC issues notice to Centre on PIL seeking free ration for poor disabled people

On Tuesday, a Delhi High Court bench comprising Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jain issued notice to the Centre on a PIL seeking free ration for poor persons with disabilities. The court was informed that persons with disabilities were struggling to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PIL sought a direction to all state governments and Union Territories under Section 38 of the National Food Security Act to provide free foodgrains to poor persons with disabilities as was done for migrant workers and other sections of the society during the pandemic.

The plea demanded that disabled persons without ration cards should be provided free ration on the basis of their disability certificates of Unique Disability ID under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. The petition has been filed by the National Federation of the Blind through advocate Santosh Kumar Rungta and advocate Pratiti Rungta. This matter will come up for further hearing on July 22. 

Read: Delhi HC Orders Doctor Be Given Admission In Medicine Course As Per Merit

Read: Bhima Koregaon: SC Sets Aside Delhi HC Order For Production Of Records, Says It Has No Jurisdiction

Details of the PIL

The petition observed that disabled persons belonged to the most marginalized group in society with very little opportunities to earn their livelihood. It added that their exclusion under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and the food security scheme is against the spirit and the object of the National Food Security Act, 2013. The PIL cited two legal provisions to buttress its case.

First, it highlighted that Section 40 of the Persons With Disabilities Act, 1995, mandated three per cent reservation for disabled persons in all poverty alleviation programmes. Besides this, Section 37(b) of the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, provides for 5 per cent reservation for individuals with disabilities in all poverty alleviation programmes. During the hearing, advocate Santosh Rungta contended that it was the responsibility of the Centre to identify beneficiaries of each state for the National Food Security Act. He alleged that this exercise had not been carried out. 

Read: Delhi HC Lauds Bar Members Members For Aiding Clerks Association Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Read: Plea In Delhi HC Against Domicile Reservation In NLSIU In Karnataka

(With ANI inputs)

(Image credits: PTI)