Chandigarh, September 13
The decision of the Punjab Government to provide “atta” on the doorstep of the beneficiaries after “bypassing/replacing” the network of 17,000 fair price shops by “creating a parallel company for delivery” has come under the judicial scanner.
Acting on a petition filed by a depot holders’ association, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice of motion to the state and other respondents.
The direction by Justice Vikas Suri of the High Court came on a petition filed by the NFSA Depot Holders Welfare Association through counsel Vijay K Jindal and Vipul Jindal. Among other things, it was 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.
It was added that the Aam Aadmi Party got a majority in Punjab before forming the government, which assured home delivery of “atta” on the doorstep of the beneficiaries. The government also assured that it would pay the entire cost of grinding and manage home delivery.
As such, tenders were invited for grinding the wheat and for home delivery. The bids for deciding the “delivery partner” were opened and the government was in the process of evaluating the bids. The bidders qualifying the technical bids would then have to make financial bids for final selection. As of now, the government had decided to deliver “atta” on the doorstep from October 1.
