New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to consider free distribution of food grains to the hungry poor of the country instead of allowing it to rot in Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns.
"Give it to the hungry poor instead of it (grains) going down the drain," a bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma told Additional Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran appearing for the Centre.
The bench asked the Centre to ensure construction of a big godown in each state besides separate godowns in different districts and divisions within the states and expedite the computerisation procees of PDS system to check pilferage and corruption.
The bench passed the direction while dealing with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the civil rights group PUCL on rampant corruption in Public Distribution System (PDS) besides rotting of food grains in FCI godowns.
The measures suggested by the apex court court in an order include:
(a) increase in the quantum of food supply to the population Below Poverty Line
(b) opening fair price shops on all 30 days a month
(c) distribute foodgrains to the deserving population at a very low cost or no cost.
The PDS needs to be strengthened, particularly in tribal and drought-prone areas of the country, the bench said.
At the last hearing, the apex court had asked the government to consider the suggestions for disbanding PDS supply to Above Poverty Line (APL) families and restrict the benefit only to BPL families and Antodya Anna Yojana (AAY) Scheme beneficiaries.
However, the Centre in an affidavit has said it was extending the PDS supply to APL families only after meeting the requirements of the BPL/AAY beneficiaries.