Governments must be proactive in implementing the Supreme Court’s interim orders on right to food and should not be on the defensive and give excuses for not implementing the orders, adviser to the Commissioners appointed by the Apex Court for monitoring the implementation of its orders P. Madhavi has said.
Five States decided to implement the interim orders (issued during 2002 and 2003), but they were yet to frame rules for their respective States, Dr. Madhavi said.
“Why should the States be told by the Supreme Court to distribute foodgrains when it is their constitutional duty,” she wondered.
“The Supreme Court has issued many interim orders regarding supply of foodgrains, storage, distribution, mid-day meal scheme, providing protein food, and pensions for the destitute to ensure food security, but they are not being implemented,” she said. The Antyodaya Annayojna scheme was launched 13 or 14 years ago, but no State government had so far recognised eligible persons in full scale, she said.
“Running the schemes to provide nutritious food is not a difficult task for the governments since the Integrated Child Development Scheme is funded by the Central Government, which also provides rice for the public distribution system.”
Dr. Madhavi, a retired Reader from a college in Secunderabad, who, along with Rama Malkote, a professor and adviser in the undivided Andhra Pradesh to the Supreme Court appointed Commissioners — N.C. Saxena and Harsh Mander — found government negligent in implementing the orders, and also felt that the Supreme Court should react when its orders were not implemented.
“Government officials have not yet realised how important it is to provide food. When details are sought, the officials would come out with a list of beneficiaries or list the problems that come in the way of implementation,” Dr. Madhavi said.
Dr. Madhavi, who extended support to the PVTGs of Visakha Agency in their demand for Antyodaya ration cards, said she would tour the tribal mandals after some time to examine how best the promise of the government was being implemented.
