The Supreme Court asked the Centre to come clean on the state of implementation of its welfare schemes like MGNREGA, National Food Security and mid-day meal in 12 drought-hit States across the country.
A bench of Justices M.B. Lokur and R.K. Agrawal asked the Union Agriculture Secretary to meet with his counterparts in the affected States and discuss criteria for declaration of drought and steps taken to alleviate hunger in these States.
The Bench asked the government to inform by January 22 the earliest date on which the meeting can take place between the Union Agriculture Secretary and his counterparts in these States.
It was hearing a PIL which alleged that parts of States like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana and Chattisgarh have been hit by drought and the authorities were not providing adequate relief.
The PIL sought the court to examine the rainfall data in these States for the purpose of declaring drought-affected areas, districts and taluks. It asked the court to intervene to find out about the implementation of the National Food Security Act of 2013 and the availability of food grains, rice, dal, edible oil, eggs and milk for children in these areas.
It wanted the court to ask whether the authorities have been providing 150 days of work under the MGNREGA in drought-hit areas instead of the usual 100.
Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar submitted that these affected States have been provided financial aid from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF).
Funds to the tune of over Rs 1,500 crore, Rs 1,276 crore, Rs 2,032 crore, Rs 3,044 crores have been made available to Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharshtra respectively, Mr. Kumar said.
He said that for 2015-20, a total of Rs 61,291 crore has been earmarked to provide relief to the States which may be hit by disasters.
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