Kriti Agrawal
The Karnataka High Court ordered the Central Government and the State Government to decide if the benefits of the Aatma-nirbhar Scheme, which were in effect during the lockdown last year, can be extended to those who do not have a ration card from any state.
Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi told the Court that, depending on the situation, the State Government would consider whether ration kits, in addition to the facility of providing cooked food through Indira Canteens, could be made available to vulnerable sections of society.
The Court said, “This Court has already issued an order requiring the State Government to recognize the vulnerable parts of society who have been affected by the partial lockout.”
In terms of implementing the scheme through Indira Canteens, the State Government must record the required information in terms of the number of beneficiaries before the next deadline. The information will be broken down by district.
The Court ordered the state government to make a decision on whether or not to restore the Dasoha helpline.
The Court said, “The explanation is that if such a helpline is established, the State Government will immediately know who is deprived of the benefits of the State Government’s scheme of supplying cooked food as well as the Central Government’s scheme to which we have previously referred.”
