The Bombay High Court has askedthe Maharashtra government to carry out a survey to identify the needy and poor persons, migrants and displaced workers so that they can be provided with free kits of food grain.Justice Madhav Jamdar of the Nagpur bench of the high court gave this direction on Tuesday while hearing a petition filed by social worker Sanjay Dharmadhikari.The petition sought the court's direction to the Nagpur civic body to supply food grains to the needy, poor, migrants and displaced persons who do not hold ration cards, in view of the coronavirus-induced lockdown.The court noted that as per a government resolution of March 29, 2020 certain amount of food grains shall be provided to all the needy, poor persons, migrants and displaced workers free of cost even if they do not hold ration cards.Justice Jamdar observed that while the government and local bodies are doing their best to provide relief to the needy persons, wide publicity needs to be given to this resolution."The factual position shows that since the last few days lakhs of migrants have beeen travelling to their native places by any mode of transport and if the same is not available, then by walking the distance of more than 500, 1,000 or 2,000 kms, which clearly shows that food grain has not been supplied to the needy persons in various parts of Maharashtra."Therefore they have no alternative but to go to their native place," the court said.It ordered the government to carry out an immediate survey across the state within a period of three days to find the number of persons to whom food grain has to be supplied for their survival."For this purpose, if required, the government can call those employees who are not reporting to duty due to the lockdown imposed amid the COVID-19 pandemic," the court said."Immediately after the persons are identified, the required quantity of food grains that is food kits consisting of wheat-10 kg, rice-10 kg, toor dal-1 kg, chana dal-1 kg, sugar-1 kg, tea-250 gm, and edible oil-one litre shall be provided," the court said.The court said the authorities shall maintain a record of all those persons who have been given these kits so as to ensure people do not start hoarding.The court posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
