This story is from May 29, 2020

Food helpline a disaster, plug ration deficit for 17 lakh people: HC

Food helpline a disaster, plug ration deficit for 17 lakh people: HC
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NEW DELHI: There is still a ration deficit for 17 lakh non-PDS people in Delhi, the high court noted on Thursday while calling a state food helpline number a “disaster”.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad scrutinised the government’s food distribution system for the needy during the Covid-19 crisis and found gaps, issuing a slew of directives to plug them immediately.
The court asked the government to move fast in various areas, including improving access to food helplines, assistance in getting flour from atta chakkis at the government’s expense, and making arrangements for those not registered under the public distribution system.

During the hearing, the judges tried to reach the government’s food helpline number 1967 and 1301 manned by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority several times but failed.
“To satisfy ourselves as to whether the said helpline is actually functioning, repeated calls have been made by us on this number from our mobile phones but the said number cannot be reached at all,” they said. “The said helpline number itself is a disaster that needs to be addressed immediately by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority. It shall be made functional by the end of this day,” the bench ordered, warning the authorities that it would randomly call and test the helplines. It also directed them to increase the number of persons manning these numbers.

On those left out of the free ration net, the court pointed out that the government records showed 33.3 lakh e-coupons had been processed while Delhi had 54 lakh non-PDS residents. While another six lakh have been covered under the Centre’s food schemes, food needs of 17 lakh people “must be met by the state without any further loss of time”, the bench said. The “beneficiaries belong to the economically distressed section of the society”, it pointed out.
Additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain, appearing for the AAP government, said they could apply for e-coupons at the links provided online. But the court found the process difficult for the poor and noted how they “would still end up running from pillar to post for generation of e-coupons, which is most unacceptable in the present situation”.
It asked the government to set up helpdesks at each of the 588 non-PDS centres over the next five days to guide the beneficiaries. The government has been told to issue an advisory to all MPs and MLAs to identify particular locations where the helpdesks will be set up for the purpose. “The details of the locations shall be uploaded on the website of Delhi government within five working days,” the bench said.
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