The Delhi High Court has modified its earlier order regarding the implementation of the Kejriwal Government’s doorstep delivery scheme.

The Lieutenant Governor (LG) had rejected the ration delivery scheme one week before its commencement. The court order came after an overwhelming majority opted for supply of rations at their doorstep.

The court on Friday ruled in favour of the Delhi Government’s scheme in a case where the Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh had gone to court against the scheme.

The Delhi Government’s counsel pointed out that an overwhelming majority was in favour of the scheme.

The court took note of the counsel’s submission that it had not stayed the implementation of the scheme for door-to-door delivery of ration. It further took note of the fact that an overwhelming majority wants ration to be home delivered.

The court noted the submission by counsel Vishwanathan, who appeared for GNCTD, and contended that there was no stay on the implementation of the scheme for door to door delivery of food grains/ flour.

Viswanathan submitted that the court passed an interim order of protection in favour of the petitioner on 22.03.2021, as it was pointed out that the GNCTD had issued an e-mail communication dated 08.03.2021 whereby the supplies to be made to the existing PDS distributors was to be stopped, so that food grains could be distributed door to door by another agency.

He further submitted that the court had only directed the GNCTD not to stop or curtail the supply of food grains/flour, to the members of the petitioner association. He claimed that that the GNCTD has undertaken the exercise of calling for options from all PDS card holders, as to whether they prefer to continue with the existing system of collecting their rations from the existing PDS shops, or to have their rations delivered at their door step.  An overwhelming majority has opted for supply of rations at their door step.

The court said, “We, therefore, modify our order dated 22.03.2021. The GNCTD shall first issue communications to each of the fair price shop holders, informing them of the particulars of the ration card holders, who have opted to receive their rations at their door steps and, only thereafter, the rations, to the extent that they are being supplied to such optees, need not be supplied to the fair price shop holders.”

The Delhi Government had undertaken the exercise of asking PDS card holders whether they prefer to continue with the existing system of collecting their rations from the PDS shops, or they want to have their rations delivered at their doorstep.

Delhi Government’s counsel also submitted that beneficiaries, under the PDS scheme, who will opt for delivery of rations at their doorstep, would have the option to once again opt out and go back to the fair price shops for collection of their rations at any time.

The Delhi Government would publicise, for the benefit of the beneficiaries under the PDS scheme, the essential terms and conditions of the order.

Officials in the Delhi Government claimed that the ration home delivery scheme ideated was expected to be a game-changing scheme that would have helped curb the theft of ration and harassment of the poor by the ration mafia syndicates. This scheme, however, was rejected by the Central Government through the LG a week before its commencement. The Centre had never objected to the scheme in court but it did not let the scheme go through citing frivolous reasons at various points of time, official said.