Nobody should go to sleep empty stomach, government's duty to ensure foodgrains reach the last man: SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to ensure that food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) reach the last person, as it said nobody should go to sleep empty stomach.

Hearing a matter connected with the plight of migrant workers during the Covid pandemic, a bench of Justices M R Shah and Hima Kohli said, "Nobody should go to sleep empty stomach as it is our culture and it is the government’s duty to ensure food grains under NFSA reach the last person."

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“We are not saying that the Centre is not doing anything, the Union of India has ensured food grains to people during Covid. At the same time, we have to see it continues,” the bench said.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing three social activists Anjali Bharadwaj, Harsh Mander, and Jagdeep Chhokar, contended the law should be enforced effectively since after 2011 census, the country’s population has increased and also the beneficiaries covered under the NFSA.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, pointed out that there are 81.35 crore beneficiaries under NFSA.

Bhushan said India has slipped rapidly on the global hunger index, however, the government claims the per capita income of people has increased in recent years.

The bench directed the Centre to submit a fresh chart with the number of migrants and unorganised sector workers registered on e-Shram portal.

It fixed the matter for further hearing on December 8.

Earlier, the Centre had told the apex court that the per capita income in India has increased in real terms by 33.4 per cent since the enactment of the NFSA in 2013.

The court had earlier asked the Centre to see that NFSA benefits are not limited by the 2011 census figures and more needy people should be covered under it.