Aastha Thakur
Published on: 02 November 2022 at 10:55 IST
The Delhi High Court has stated that it “hopes and trusts” that the Delhi government will implement the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) in its true text and spirit and that the provision of appropriate nutrition is a pertinent social responsibility of the State.
The Act is welfare law designed to give recipients access to affordable and sufficient food, according to a bench led by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, and it should be implemented as as fully as possible
The court’s statement was made in response to a contempt petition filed by the Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan regarding a decision made in response to a PIL that allowed food to be distributed to eligible beneficiaries of the NFSA without the need for Aadhaar production or authentication.
The NGO stated that the Delhi government had been in “wilful non-compliance” with a 2017 court decision that required the city government to submit a status report on the steps it had taken in relation with the Act’s implementation.
The court stated that although it had previously expressed its displeasure with the way the authorities were handling the matter’s compliance, there had been no instances of contempt of court, and it was clear from the affidavit outlining the measures taken by the Delhi government that actions were being taken to comply with the ruling.
Hence, the court dismissed the plea.