Up To States/UTs To Explore Option Of 'Community Kitchens' : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday (February 22) left it open to the States and the Union Territories to explore the option of 'community kitchens' as a means to achieve the objectives of the National Food Security Act, 2013.

The Court declined to pass directions to formulate a pan-India community kitchen policy given the fact that the National Food Security Act was in force and various welfare schemes under the said Act have been framed by the Union and States to provide food and nutritional security to people at affordable rates.

The Court stated that it has not examined whether the concept of a community kitchen is a better alternative to achieve the objectives of the National Food Security Act. Leaving the matter to the decision of the States and UTs, the Court disposed of the PIL seeking the formulation of a community kitchen policy.

The bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal pronounced the operative portion of the judgment as follows :

"When the National Food Security Act giving a rights-based approach of providing food and nutritional security is in force and the other welfare schemes under the said Act have also been framed and implemented by the Union and the States to ensure access adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people, we do not propose to give any further direction in that regard.

We have not examined whether the concept of community kitchen is a better or a wiser alternative available to the States to achieve the object of NFSA, rather we prefer to leave it open to the States and UTs to explore such alternative schemes as may be permissible under the Act.,” the Court orally pronounced. 

The PIL was filed by Anun Dhawan, represented by Advocate Ashima Mandla.

The Bench had previously heard the petition on January 16 and had reserved their judgment. It may be recalled that this is the same matter in which formerly, the then Chief Justice of India, NV Ramana, had emphasised the need for a national policy to prevent starvation deaths. Apart from this, the former Chief Justice also categorically said that the hunger has to be satisfied and asked the attorney general to 'take a humanitarian angle.'