Interests of fair price shop owners would be taken into consideration
Just over a month after the decision to provide “atta” on the doorstep of the beneficiaries after “bypassing/replacing” the network of 17,000 fair price shops was challenged, Punjab today acknowledged before the Punjab and Haryana High Court the need for alterations/amendments. Among other things, it said the interests of fair price shop owners, too, would be taken into consideration.
In an affidavit placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli, Punjab Additional Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, TK Goyal submitted that the entire issue had been re-examined by the department.
The Bench was hearing a petition by the NFSA Depot Holders Welfare Association through counsel Vijay K Jindal and Vipul Jindal. It was contended that the network of fair price shops was to be bypassed by “creating parallel company for delivery”.
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It was decided that certain alterations/amendments were required to be carried out in the home delivery service to bring it in sync with the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the Punjab Targeted Public Distribution System (Licensing and Control) Order, 2016. The affidavit added that the request for proposal (RFP) issued for the selection of grinding/delivery services would be given effect to after bringing about the desired changes in the service.
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It was decided that certain alterations/amendments were required to be carried out in the home delivery service to bring it in sync with the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the Punjab Targeted Public Distribution System (Licensing and Control) Order, 2016. The affidavit added that the request for proposal (RFP) issued for the selection of grinding/delivery services would be given effect to after bringing about the desired changes in the service.
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The NFSA Depot Holders Welfare Association contended that the action was “void ab initio” or having no legal effect from inception. It was, as such, violative of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
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It was added that the Aam Aadmi Party got a majority in Punjab before forming the government, which assured home delivery of wheat flour/atta on the doorstep of the beneficiaries. The government also assured that it would pay the entire cost of grinding and manage home delivery.
Source : The Tribune
