Supreme Court Issues Notice To Center After PIL Urges Setting Up Community Kitchens To Check Mass Starvation

The Supreme Court has issued notice in response to a public interest litigation filed by activists who sought setting up of community kitchens to combat mass hunger and starvation deaths in the country.

The plea had sought the involvement of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to monitor the exercise of setting up of these kitchens.

The plea has requested the court to direct the chief secretaries of all states and union territories to formulate a scheme for the implementation of community kitchens and to further ensure that no person should go to bed starving.

It urged the court to direct the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to formulate a scheme to further the provisions of Article 51A of the Constitution of India in order to mitigate deaths resulting from hunger, malnutrition and starvation.

The petition also wanted the court to direct the central government to create a national food grid for those beyond the reach of the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS).

The plea cited the acute problem of malnutrition and starvation deaths which continue in violation of the Right to Food despite various food security schemes introduced by the government.

The petitioners have pointed out that India is placed at 103 out of 119 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2018 report prepared by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

The plea urged the Supreme Court's intervention to facilitate setting up of country-wide community kitchens to supplement existing food security schemes.