2003: PUCL vs Union of India and others, Civil Writ Petition 196 of 2001
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Supreme Court hearings on the right to food (PUCL vs Union of India and others, Civil Writ Petition 196 of 2001) have been held at regular intervals since April 2001. Though the judgement is still awaited, interim orders have been passed from time to time.
Order of 19 August 2003
In this hearing, the bench asked the petitioner to meet representatives of GoI to discuss the fourth report submitted by the commissioners. The parties were asked to report back to the court in five weeks with the results of the meeting.
Order of 2 May 2003
SGRY scheme to be doubled for an interim period of three months (May - July)
Famine codes will be binding in the months of May, June and July. However, if better measures are incorporated in other schemes, these may be implemented instead.
Government of India to clarify its response to the Abhijit Sen Committee report by August 8, 2003.
Government of India has to evolve a system of ensuring that all poor families are identified as BPL.
Licences of ration shop dealers to be cancelled if they (i) do not open on time, (ii) overcharge, (iii) retain ration cards, (iv) make false entries in BPL cards, or (v) engage in black marketing.
BPL households are to be permitted to buy grain in instalments.
The following groups to be given Antyodaya cards:
(1) Aged, infirm, disabled, destitute men and women, pregnant and lactating destitute women;
(2) widows and other single women with no regular support;
(3) old persons (aged 60 or above) with no regular support and no assured means of subsistence;
(4) households with a disabled adult and no assured means of subsistence;
(5) households where due to old age, lack of physical or mental fitness, social customs, need to care for a disabled, or other reasons, no adult member is available to engage in gainful employment outside the house; and
(6) primitive tribes.
States that have not implemented the order on mid-day meal scheme to immediately start providing mid-day meals in at least 25 % of the districts (with priority to poorest districts).