No starvation in Lakshadweep, administration tells HC
Foodgrain being distributed underneath numerous schemes and ample inventory to last as long as October, court docket informed
The Lakshadweep administration on Thursday knowledgeable the Kerala High Court that there had been no starvation on the Lakshadweep islands as ample portions of meals are being distributed to the islanders underneath numerous Central schemes.
When a public curiosity litigation alleging starvation on the islands got here up, Counsel for the Lakshadweep administration S. Manu submitted that ration articles had been being distributed to the islanders thorough 39 ration outlets on the islands. Every island had ration outlets each 1.5 km. In reality, free rice of 5 kg an individual was being distributed underneath the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) by way of the general public distribution system and 110 tonnes of rice was distributed a month underneath the scheme. Besides, 35 kg foodgrain at ₹3 a kg was additionally being distributed to the households underneath the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).
He additional submitted that there had been ample inventory of meals to last as long as October on all of the islands. Moreover, meals meant for the mid-day meal scheme was being distributed to college students immediately although colleges had been remaining closed on account of the lockdown. Food was provided free to the first-line COVID-19 therapy centres as effectively. Therefore, there was no query of any starvation being skilled by any islanders. The allegations in the petition had been obscure and didn’t spotlight any particular incident of starvation. Nobody had approached the authorities with complaints of lack of meals.
Food kits to be ensured
The Centre, in the meantime, undertook earlier than the court docket that it might take vital steps to make sure that there was no shortfall in the availability of meals kits and different vital provisions to the residents of the islands through the interval of lockdown.
The public curiosity litigation sought a directive to the Centre and the Lakshadweep administration to supply meals kits to needy islanders and switch money into their accounts until the lockdown was lifted.
According to petitioner Nasih K.K. of Amini island, among the islanders couldn’t afford to purchase meals because of joblessness and non-availability of meals following the extension of curfew and lockdown. They had been dealing with acute starvation. As there have been journey restrictions, non-governmental organisations couldn’t come and supply succour to the islanders, he identified.