SC seeks Centre's reply on food security in drought-hit states

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to file its reply on a plea asking all states to ensure food security for drought-affected rural population till the end of the calamity or for a six-month period during the event.

According to a PTI report, a Bench asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar to file a response by March 30, after he submitted that the prayers have been revised by the petitioner. "You file your response to the revised prayers and matter be listed for further hearing on March 30," the Bench said.

In a related development, the petitioner, NGO Swaraj Abhiyan, also sought to make an additional submission in the court for enhancing the disaster compensation to farmers in line with his or her cost of production.

The plea was made in view of the recent damage to standing rabi crops due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm in several parts of North India.

The Solicitor General said some states have not filed their responses regarding the steps taken in these drought-hit states in compliance with the directions of the court. Swaraj Abhiyan, in its revised prayer, also sought a direction to the Centre to abide by the provisions of the MGNREGA and use the Act for employment generation in drought-affected areas.

The plea also sought that "the Reserve Bank of India and the states to ensure that the scheduled banks as well as the non-scheduled banks restructure the crop loans and other outstanding loans of the drought-affected farmers..."

On January 22, the Centre had informed the apex court that agriculture secretaries of 12 drought-hit states would be meeting in Delhi to discuss steps to be taken to provide relief to farmers and others.

The court had asked the Centre to apprise it about the current status of welfare schemes in the 12 drought-hit states across the country.

A PIL filed by the NGO has alleged that parts of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana and Chhattisgarh were hit by drought and the authorities were not providing adequate relief.

The Centre had told the apex court that these states have been provided financial aid from State Disaster Relief Fund and the National Disaster Relief Fund.