SC raps Telangana govt for cancelling 19 lakh ration playing cards, asks it to hold out verification

By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Telangana authorities over the cancellation of round 19 lakh ration playing cards within the state. The high court docket directed the Telangana authorities to hold out verification of the ration playing cards cancelled by it in pursuance of the notification issued by the central authorities in 2016. The court docket has additionally requested the Chief Secretary of the state to file an affidavit earlier than it and supply data on the steps taken earlier than the cancellation of rations playing cards within the state.

The high court docket was listening to a plea by activist SQ Masood towards an order of the Telangana High Court that had dismissed the petition on the cancellation of round 19 lakh ration playing cards within the state.

“We deem it proper that an affidavit shall be filed by the Chief Secretary informing the top court on steps taken before cancellation of the ration cards in the state of Telangana. Direct the state to conduct verification of all the cards cancelled…We are informed that there are 17 parameters that were taken into account before cancellation. The authorities are directed to conduct verification of all the cards and also deal with the representation by any card holder who’s card got canceled,” the highest court docket orally stated.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves showing for the petitioner argued that the ration playing cards of 19 lakh individuals have been cancelled with out assigning any cause and that there was no human intervention within the matter. He additional stated that the ration playing cards have been cancelled primarily based on laptop algorithms.

The high court docket quizzed the state on the main points obtained earlier than such a choice was taken.

“You are dealing with people who take ration from PDS. This SLP has been filed against a judgement of the high court by which the writ petition filed by the HC in a cryptic order on the ground that no relief can be granted with the lockdown being lifted. Cancel 19 lakhs of ration cards without an opportunity to the card holders to defend themselves?,” Justice L. Nageswara Rao stated.

The counsel of the state authorities argued that round 4 crore playing cards have been cancelled on the all India stage and it’s not particular to the state of Telangana. He added that those whose playing cards are cancelled can apply once more.

To this, the highest court docket questioned the state on the way it can ask individuals to once more apply after cancellation.

The particular depart petition has been filed towards the excessive court docket that had disposed of the matter with instructions that “the lockdown was recalled by the federal government on the finish of August 2020 and the reduction prayer doesn’t survive any longer.”

The plea had contended that the primary subject of this case pertains to cancellation of about 17 lakh ration playing cards in Telangana with out discover to the ration card holders leading to deprivation of meals to lakhs of weak individuals, particularly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, which is already inflicting widespread struggling, starvation and lack of lives.

The petitioner submitted that the excessive court docket  has grossly erred by closing the petition just because the lockdown was recalled. The lifting of the lockdown doesn’t have an effect on the responsibility of the state to guard the constitutional proper of meals, it stated.

The plea added that if the Covid-19 pandemic had handed, the cancellation of ration playing cards, by merely terming them “bogus” and with out prior intimation to the involved individuals and giving them an inexpensive alternative to be heard, is unfair and violative of the provisions of the NFSA Act, 2013 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India.