Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has approved draft Delhi Grievance Redressal Rules for addressing grievances related to Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Fair Price Shop (FPS) pending since 2013.  Central assistance may be withheld if the rules are notified on or before this month end.

Giving his nod to the proposed rules, the LG also questioned the Delhi government for unexplained and unforgivable delay.  The Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court had directed the AAP government in 2017 to frame rules and constitute the Commission the same year. Delhi has not constituted a State Food Commission and not framed Grievance Redressal Mechanism as mandated by the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 even after 10 years. The Mechanism and the Commission meant to look into critical aspects of transparent and corruption free implementation of the TPDS under NFSA, was even ordered to be put in place by the Supreme Court and the High Court way back in 2017, within the deadline 2017 itself. 

However, despite the Supreme Court’s clear orders, the government had been sitting on the file for the past six years and has finally moved only after threat from the Central Government that Central Assistance under NFSA will be withheld if the Mechanism and the Commission are not put in place by end of June.

What was even more shocking, the LG noted, was the fact that such mechanism and body which was meant to redress grievances like non-opening of Fair Price Shops, non-issue of Specified Food Article (SFA), weight discrepancy of SFA and overcharging for ration, etc., has been treated with such insensitive negligence and lackadaisicalness by a government that has, on more than one occasion, made serious political issue out of PDS and FPS.

While approving the draft, Saxena observed “It is indeed shocking that the National Capital yet does not have a Grievance Redressal Mechanism and a State Food Commission, mandated by the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 for attending to grievances related to the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), even after 10 years of the Act coming in effect.

What is even more shocking is the fact that such mechanism and body which was meant to redress grievances like non-opening of Fair Price Shops, non-issue of Specified Food Article (SFA), weight discrepancy of SFA and overcharging for ration, etc., has been treated with such negligence and lackadaisicalness by a government that has, on more than one occasion, made serious political issue out of PDS and FPS.”

“It has taken about six years for the file to be resent to the Lt. Governor for approval, and that also under pressure from the Govt. of India which expressed its inability to continue with the Central Assistance, if the above mentioned rules and body were not put in place by June 30th, 2023. It will be in the fitness to things to mention here that this laxity on the part of government has also been in violation/contempt of orders passed by the Supreme Court and the  Delhi High Court,” Raj Niwas said in a statement.