Delhi versus Union govt. on ration doorstep delivery issue

The Union is strongly resisting the Delhi govt. plan to deliver NFSA ration at the doorstep.

Delhi versus Union govt. on ration doorstep delivery issue

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• The story: The Union govt. is once again at loggerheads with the Delhi govt. It has told the Supreme Court that Delhi government’s door-to-door ration scheme will create an “opaque” public distribution system (PDS) that will put at risk numerous beneficiaries, especially migrant workers, who are covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the national capital.
• Centre upset: The Centre told the top court that door-to-door ration scheme not only has “material deficiencies” but is also in stark contradiction to the NFSA, 2013.

1. The scheme will have adverse implications in the implementation of the “one nation, one ration card scheme” of the central government, meant to safeguard the interests of migrant beneficiaries and giving freedom of choice to beneficiaries to get their entitlements through any fair price shop (FPS) of their choice through biometric authentication.
2. It said that the Delhi government was adamant on creating a parallel PDS scheme utilising the resources under the NFSA by completely diluting the purpose and purport of NFSA, 2013.

• Where it started: The Centre appealed against the Delhi high court’s September 27 order, which allowed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to stop supplying foodgrains to FPS for patrons who have chosen doorstep delivery over physical collection of ration.

1. The Delhi government claimed that an overwhelming majority has opted for supply of rations at their doorstep
2. The high court then said that authorities could supply only such quantities of ration to FPS that are required for those who want to collect it from shops and the rest can be held back by the government for door-to-door delivery
3. The high court further asked the government to share the details of ration cardholders who have opted to receive their rations at doorsteps instead of collecting it from shops with the FPS owners.

• Objection: The Delhi government’s doorstep delivery of ration scheme was launched on March 25, but the Union food and consumer affairs ministry wrote to the Delhi government on March 19 raising two objections — the use of the term “mukhyamantri (chief minister)” for a scheme involving the distribution of food grains allocated under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), and that any change in the delivery mechanism requires an amendment in NSFA that can be done only by Parliament. The term “mukhyamantri” was later dropped from the scheme’s name.

1. The Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh -- a body of the fixed price shop owners, moved the high court in February challenging the tenders issued for the doorstep delivery scheme.
2. That petition was amended to challenge the ration delivery scheme with the association demanding that it should be declared ultra vires (beyond the scope of legal power).
3. The Delhi government maintained in the high court that the scheme does not violate NFSA, and that several states were already running similar programmes. It has further claimed that 6.9 million people out of the total 7.2 million registered beneficiaries opted for the scheme.

• Summary: Nearly 7.2 million people in Delhi are eligible for subsidised food, including 1.7 million ration card holders and nearly 3 million priority households, besides other food insecure categories identified by the Delhi government. The battle, it seems, has only begun.
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the provisions of the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme of the Union government. (2) What are the issues involved in creating a doorstep ration delivery under the NFSA system? Explain.

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#Foodsecurity #NFSA #Delhigovernment #Onenationonerationcard

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