'Ration dealers are in contempt, allow doorstep delivery'
New Delhi: With the Delhi government and the Centre at odds with each other over the doorstep delivery of ration despite the Delhi High Court allowing it, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain on Monday wrote to Union Minister Piyush Goel — saying that the complaint on the basis of which they had again blocked the scheme had been dealt with in the high court.
In fact, the Delhi Minister goes on to cite the relevant portions of the Delhi High Court order, which it says is binding upon the Delhi government, and says that the ration dealers' association that had complained to the Centre had gone to the high court before this with the same argument that the scheme goes against the NFSA. However, the court ruled in favour of the scheme's implementation after it was notified of the overwhelming response to it.
In the letter, Hussain sought answers from the Central government as to why the Capital was receiving "discriminatory treatment" from the Central government when it had approved similar distribution systems in other states such as West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
The Food Minister went on to insist that Delhi's scheme was in keeping with the NFSA and that the ration dealers were allegedly committing contempt of court by approaching the Centre to prohibit the Delhi government from complying with the high court's orders.
Hussain mentioned that he was surprised to receive a letter from the Centre and questioned, "Why Delhi is being singled out for discriminatory treatment and objections are being raised to prevent the implementation of a scheme which is undeniably and irrefutably in the public interest and will subserve the needs of the most downtrodden and marginalised sections of society," the letter stated.
"We received a letter from the Department of Food and Public Distribution of the Central Government that says that doorstep delivery of ration scheme of Delhi government is against the provisions of National Food Security Act (NFSA) and therefore should not be implemented," the letter added.
The letter to the Delhi government was issued by the central government on a representation made by an association of ration shopkeepers of Delhi — Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh (DSRDS). Hussain has requested the Centre to clear the way for the
scheme.
The Minister said that he saw no reason why the Central government was stopping the state government from implementing the scheme which is "undeniably and irrefutably in public interest and will subserve the needs of the most downtrodden and marginalised sections of the society."
