Don't Stop Food Supply To Anganwadi Centres For Not Linking Aadhaar Till App Is Updated With Regional Languages : Bombay High Court Directs Centre

In the meantime, the Centre must refrain from withholding allotment of food grains to anganwadi centres within Maharashtra for failure to feed the beneficiary's Aadhaar data in English on the Poshan Tracker Application, the HC ordered.

The division bench of Justices AK Menon and MS Karnik was hearing a petition filed by three unions regarding action against anganwadi workers in Maharashtra for failure to fill in details on the application.

Therefore, it was imperative to ensure linking of the beneficiaries' Aadhaar cards to the system latest by July 15, 2022.

However, since Marathi language was not available as an option, Aadhar seeding entries have not been completed in Maharashtra, the court noted.

Senior Advocate Gayatri Singh and Advocate Meenaz Kakalia represented the three unions – Anganwadi Karamchari Sanghatna, Maharashtra Raja Anganwadi Balwadi Karamchari Union and one more union.

Advocate RM Govilkar for the Union informed the court that the deficiency in the application was communicated to the concerned authority. However, there was a risk that beneficiaries may not be allotted food at angandawi centres if the Aadhaar seeding was not completed.

Moreover, the State had communicated the MWCD's message to the District Programme Officers and Zilla Parishad and Child Development Officers, the court was told.

"In the light of the above, we believe that allotment of foodgrains should not be effected till such time, this deficiency is rectified. We are of the view that ad-interim relief is required to be granted," the court ordered.

It then directed the MWCD and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Commissioners to refrain from withholding allotment of food grains based on the application's functioning and directed the union to rectify the regional language problem in the application, till then.

Case Title: Anganwadi Karmachari Sanghatana and ors vs. Union of India and ors.

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