Supreme Court rebuked states on delay in payment in job scheme MNREGA
New Delhi:
In a sharp rebuke to the Centre during a hearing on the drought crisis in a fourth of the country, the Supreme Court said today: "Social justice has been thrown out of the window."
The court's sharp comments came during a hearing on petitions linked to the drought crisis and delays in payment for the rural job guarantee scheme. The states were also not spared. They were ordered to continue school mid-day meals - complete with eggs, milk and nutritional food - through the summer vacation and were told that they "cannot hide behind the smokescreen of lack of funds."
The existing system offered many ways of helping farmers and others badly hit by the crisis, the court said, directing states to properly enforce schemes like the job guarantee and mid-day meals.
The court asked states to immediately distribute funds meant for disaster management.
Asking the government to use all the available financial resources to address drought conditions, the court said: "Money is already provided by the central government for crop loss under disaster management, it needs to be disbursed by the states."
In the past few weeks, the Centre as well as states have been reprimanded repeatedly by the court for not rising up to the drought challenge.
Earlier, the court criticized the "lack of will" shown by the Centre and States in combating drought and saving lives and accused the central government of "washing its hands of" a national disaster.
The court's sharp comments came during a hearing on petitions linked to the drought crisis and delays in payment for the rural job guarantee scheme. The states were also not spared. They were ordered to continue school mid-day meals - complete with eggs, milk and nutritional food - through the summer vacation and were told that they "cannot hide behind the smokescreen of lack of funds."
The existing system offered many ways of helping farmers and others badly hit by the crisis, the court said, directing states to properly enforce schemes like the job guarantee and mid-day meals.
The court asked states to immediately distribute funds meant for disaster management.
Asking the government to use all the available financial resources to address drought conditions, the court said: "Money is already provided by the central government for crop loss under disaster management, it needs to be disbursed by the states."
In the past few weeks, the Centre as well as states have been reprimanded repeatedly by the court for not rising up to the drought challenge.
Earlier, the court criticized the "lack of will" shown by the Centre and States in combating drought and saving lives and accused the central government of "washing its hands of" a national disaster.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
