Hyderabad: High Court questions rationale behind government asking for cards to get free rice

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court on pass stricture on the State government for making it mandatory for the poor people to produce their ration cards to avail free rice and essentials during the lockdown period. Chief Justice of Telangana High Court Raghavendra Singh Chauhan questioned during this crucial lockdown, Is it mandatory for the poor people to produce ration cards to avail free rice and essentials provided by the State government? Why are the officials insisting the poor people who have come from other states to produce ration cards...

It is the responsibility of the State government to take care of their needs that too when we are passing through such a crucial situation, said the HC Chief Justice. Hearing the PIL filed by social activist SQ Masood through video conference, the High Court Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy directed the State Government to file a comprehensive report on the steps taken by it in providing essential food articles to the people falling below the poverty line in lockdown.

The petitioner counsel informed the Bench that the State government has cancelled a huge number of white ration cards across the State depriving essential food articles to the people falling under BPL during this lockdown.

Moreover, the officials are insisting the poor people to show ration cards to avail free rice and other essential articles distributed by the State government. Responding to the query, Advocate General B.S.Prasad informed the bench that similar pleas are pending before this bench and awaiting for details from different departments officials, hence Advocate General sought adjournment for filing the report. The CJ bench directed the State government to file a detailed report and adjourned the hearing to May 8.