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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION No. 3055 of 2008 ============================================= = SUO MOTU - Pe ! !o"e#$%& Ve#%'% STATE OF GUJARAT NOTICE SERVED THRO( ) 2 - Re%*o"+e" $%& ============================================= =
A**e,#,"-e . SUO MOTU - MR AMIT PANCHAL for Petitioner(s) : 1, MR DIPEN DESAI A P !it" MR SUNIT SHAH O#ERNMENT PLEADER for Res$on%ent(s) : 1, None for Res$on%ent(s) : &, MS SS RA'PUROHIT for Res$on%ent(s) : (, MR HARIN P RA#AL for Res$on%ent No)*)

============================================= = CORAM . HONOURABLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE MR. M.S.SHAH ,"+ HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE D.H./AGHELA

D, e . 0010812008 ORAL ORDER $Pe# . HONOURABLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE MR. M.S.SHAH&

In t"is suo motu $+,-i. interest -iti/0tion re-0tin/ to %istri,+tion of foo% /r0ins to t"e f01i-ies ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine, 0s $er t"e %ire.tions of t"e Hon4,-e S+$re1e Co+rt in 5rit Petition (Ci2i-) No)167 of &881, ANANDI, !"i." is 0 re/istere% Non- o2ern1ent0-e0rne% Hon4,-e .o+nseS+$re1e Or/0ni90tion, Mr)A1it Co+rt P0n."0"0s "0s s+,1itte% ,3 t"0t t"ro+/" %0te% St0te t"0t, or%er t"e

&:)11)&881 0s 1o%ifie% ,3 or%er %0te% 18)81)&88:, t"e %ire.te% o2ern1ents s"0-- .o1$-ete i%entifi.0tion of ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine f01i-ies, iss+e .0r%s 0n% .o11en.e %istri,+tion of (; </s) of foo% /r0ins $er f01i-3 $er 1ont") It is s+,1itte% t"0t t"e

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St0te of

+=0r0t %i% not .o1$-3 !it" t"e %ire.tions 0s f0r 0s t"e

>+0ntit3 of foo% /r0ins is .on.erne%) It is s+,1itte% t"0t t"e >+0ntit3 of foo% /r0ins ,ein/ /i2en is 1+." -ess 0n% !"0t is ,ein/ s+$$-ie% is 17)?;8 </s) of !"e0t f-o+r) &) In re$-3, Mr)Di$en Des0i, Assist0nt o2ern1ent

P-e0%er, s+,1its t"0t !"e0t f-o+r ,ein/ s+$$-ie% ,3 t"e St0te o2ern1ent is fortifie% !it" 1i.ron+trients 0n% (8 $$1 iron 0n% 1); $$1 fo-i. 0.i%) It is 0-so s+,1itte% t"0t, 0s $er -etter %0te% 1?)81)&88: of t"e o2ern1ent of In%i0, Ministr3 of Cons+1er Aff0irs, @oo% A P+,-i. Distri,+tion, De$0rt1ent of @oo% 0n% P+,-i. Distri,+tion, 0 Centr0- #i/i-0n.e Co11ittee, "e0%e% ,3 '+sti.e (Ret%)) D)P)50%"!0, !0s .onstit+te% ,3 t"e Hon4,-e S+$re1e Co+rt 0n% re.o11en%e% %istri,+tion of !"e0t f-o+r inste0% of !"o-e !"e0t to ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine "o+se"o-%ers) As re/0r%s >+0ntit3, Mr)Des0i "0s in2ite% o+r 0ttention to t"e fo--o!in/ 02er1ents 10%e in t"e 0ffi%02it-inre$-3 fi-e% ,3 Mr)')R)Mo%i, 'oint Se.ret0r3, @oo%, Ci2i- S+$$-ies 0n% Cons+1ers Aff0ir De$0rt1ent, S0."i20-030, 0n%"in0/0r: B13. ......As regards the contention that the Below Poverty
Line families are not being distributed 25 kgs. grain er month er family in s ite of the order of the !u reme "ourt# it is submitted that 35.51 lakh Below Poverty Line families including Antyodaya families are under the $P%!. Although &overnment of 'ndia is making allocation of food grains to only a lesser number of families i.e. 21.2( lakh# &overnment of &u)arat is covering large families in the Below Poverty Line category for distribution of food grains. $herefore# the ambit of o eration of Below Poverty Line !cheme in &u)arat is already much larger than what is sti ulated by &overnment of 'ndia. $he revious distribution of food grains at 12.5 kg. er card has been increased to 2( kg. er card er family er month by the !tate &overnment. $herefore# the !tate &overnment covers much more families under Below Poverty Line than allocated by the "entral &overnment. 't is also relevant to note that the "entral &overnment is roviding what at *s.+.15 s. er kgs. to the !tate

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&overnment. $he !tate &overnment thereafter incurs e, enditure of *s.(.-. s. er kg. on the said wheat. $herefore# the cost of rocuring the wheat from the "entral &overnment comes to *s.5.(+ s. /owever# the !tate &overnment rovides the said wheat to the eo le below overty line at the subsidi0ed rate of *s.2.(( er kg. whereas in the ma)ority of other !tates including the neighbouring !tate of *a)asthan and 1.P.# the said food grains is being rovided at the rate of *s.523 er kg. and not at the subsidi0ed rate as rovide by the !tate of &u)arat. !imilarly# the cost of rocuring rice is *s.4.4+ s. 5*s.5.45 s. "entral &overnment issue rice lus *s.(... s. e, enses6 whereas rice is distributed amongst the card holders at *s.3.(( er kg. 'n ma)ority of other !tates# rice is being rovided at the rate of more than *s.4.(( er kg. By roviding food grains at the subsidi0ed rate# the !tate of &u)arat is taking additional burden of *s.11( crore every year for Below Poverty Line !cheme as subsidy.7

Mr)Des0i f+rt"er st0tes t"0t, o+t of (;);1 -0<" ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine f01i-ies i%entifie% ,3 t"e St0te $oor, 0n% t"0t re10inin/ &7);: -0<" o2ern1ent, :)6( -0<" f01i-ies ,e-on/ to Ant3o%030 .0te/or3, i)e) $oorest of t"e ,e-on/ to ot"er ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine f01i-ies) Mr)Des0i f+rt"er st0tes t"0t 0-- f01i-ies in Ant3o%030 .0te/or3 0re ,ein/ /i2en 16 </s) of !"e0t f-o+r 0n% 17)?8 </s) of ri.e) It is s+,1itte% t"0t t"e entire >+0ntit3 of foo% /r0ins ,ein/ re.ei2e% ,3 t"e St0te Centr0o2ern1ent fro1 t"e o2ern1ent is ,ein/ %istri,+te% 01on/st Ant3o%030

f01i-ies 0n% ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine f01i-ies in t"e 0fores0i% 10nner 0n% t"e f0.t t"0t ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine f01i-ies (ot"er t"0n Ant3o%030 f01i-ies) 0re /ettin/ -ess >+0ntit3 of !"e0t f-o+rCri.e is on 0..o+nt of t"e Centr0t"0t, if t"e Centr0o2ern1ent "02in/ .+rt0i-e% t"e -ist of ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine f01i-ies) It is s+,1itte% o2ern1ent !ere to s+$$-3 foo% /r0ins for 0-- ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine f01i-ies 0s i%entifie% ,3 t"e St0te o2ern1ent, t"ere !o+-% ,e no %iffi.+-t3 for t"e St0te o2ern1ent in /i2in/ (; </s) of foo% /r0ins $er f01i-3 of ,e-o!

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$o2ert3 -ine .0te/or3) Mr)Des0i f+rt"er st0tes t"0t t"e Dire.tor of Ci2i- S+$$-ies in t"e St0te "0s re>+este% t"e Centr0o2ern1ent to s+$$-3 -0r/er >+0ntit3 of foo% /r0ins so 0s to en0,-e t"e St0te St0te o2ern1ent to s+$$-3 (; </s) of foo% /r0ins o2ern1ent "0s not $er f01i-3 to 0-- ,e-o! $o2ert3 -ine f01i-ies 0s i%entifie% ,3 t"e o2ern1ent) Ho!e2er, t"e Centr00..e%e% to t"e 0,o2e re>+est) () In 2ie! of t"e 0,o2e st0n% of t"e St0te o2ern1ent, Dris"i

Union of In%i0, t"ro+/" Se.ret0r3, De$0rt1ent of @oo% 0n% P+,-i. Distri,+tion, Ministr3 of Cons+1er Aff0irs, E"020n, Ne! De-"i, is =oine% 0s res$on%ent No)*) *) NOTICE to t"e ne!-3 0%%e% $0rt3 ret+rn0,-e on

02.03.2008) Mr)H0rin P) R020-, -e0rne% Assist0nt So-i.itor ener0-, !0i2es ser2i.e of noti.e for t"e ne!-3 0%%e% $0rt3) ;) Offi.e "0s in2ite% o+r 0ttention to t"e -etter %0te% R0=<ot (#i.""i30, T0-)'0s%0n, Dist) R0=<ot)

&7)?)&88: re.ei2e% fro1 t"e Centre Co-or%in0tor, S0+r0s"tr0 #o-+nt0r3 A.tions in%i.0tin/ its %esire to ,e =oine% 0s 0 $0rt3 in t"e $resent $+,-i. interest -iti/0tion) Mr)A1it P0n."0-, -e0rne% 0%2o.0te for ANANDI, !"i." is 0-re0%3 =oine% 0s res$on%ent No)(, st0tes t"0t t"e s0i% instit+tion is 0 1e1,er of t"e 0sso.i0tion of N Os on !"ose ,e"0-f ANANDI "0s ,een =oine% 0s res$on%ent No)() 7) Mr)Des0i, -e0rne% A) )P) st0tes t"0t t"e fo--o!in/

offi.ers 0re $resent in t"e Co+rt:

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1) &) () *) ;)

Mr)'03en%r0 R) Mo%i, 'oint Se.ret0r3, @oo% 0n% Ci2iS+$$-3 De$0rt1ent) Mr)R)R)C"0+"0n, Dire.tor of @oo% A Ci2i- S+$$-3 De$0rt1ent, 0n%"in0/0r) Mr) )D)E"0tt, ener0- M0n0/er, F+0-it3 Contro-, +=0r0t St0te Ci2i- S+$$-3 Cor$or0tion, 0n%"in0/0r) Mr)')H)#0so30, ener0- M0n0/er, Co11er.e, +=0r0t St0te Ci2i- S+$$-3 Cor$or0tion, 0n%"in0/0r) Mr)S)L) 0-."0r, D3)@oo% A Ci2i- S+$$-3 Contro--er, A"1e%0,0% Cit3)

Sd/( M.S.Shah, Actg.C.J.) Sd/( D.H.Waghela, J.)

(KMG Thilake)