Guwahati: The Gahati High Court has directed the state government to provide assistance in the form of food and other daily support to families living in Guwahati’s slums, who do not have a ration card and need help during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The court also directed the government to identify the beneficiaries of a ration card in the Uzan Bazar, Bharalumukh, Santipur and Bhutnath in Guwahati.
The court listened to the petition submitted by one Syeda Mehzebin Rahman from Guwahati regarding the publication of a ration card for households in slums in the city.
It was conveyed that since the election of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has not yet occurred, there is no commissioner of the ward who can identify people who do not have a ration card.
Given this, the court leads that as a temporary arrangement, food inspectors and civilian inventories attached to the Deputy Office of the Commissioners, Kamrup (Metro), or such competent authorities are identified in the absence of regional commissioners for identification purposes.
A similar direction has been issued to provide food and other daily support for families as before which has been identified by legal volunteers and who qualified to provide these benefits.
“Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) will conduct the exercises mentioned above within eight weeks by following the National Food Security Law, 2013, and guidelines incurred in that matter, including at 08.08.2013,” said the court.