Centre seeks time from Supreme Court to place data on starvation

New Delhi, September 29: The Central Government on Thursday sought time from the Supreme Court to place all data on record concerning starvation as it needs time to collect the material from the state governments relating to the incidence of starvation deaths.

Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan, representing the Centre, said to the Supreme Court that data on the incidence of starvation deaths are being sought from all state governments. ASG Madhvi Divan requested more time to compile the data and file an appropriate report with the Court. Following that, a bench comprised of Justices A.S. Bopanna and P.S. Narasimha scheduled the matter for November 3, 2022. The bench was hearing public interest litigation seeking the creation of Community Kitchen across the country.

The petition was filed by one Anun Dhawan through Advocate On Record Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi. The petitioner was represented in the case by advocates Ashima Mandla, Mandakini Singh, Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, Ibad Mushtaq, and SM Ahmad.

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Advocate Ashima Mandla, counsel for the Petitioner, informed the Court that, according to the most recent data, the number of Indians who go to sleep hungry has climbed from 19 crores in 2018 to 35 crores in 2022. She stated that existing policies such as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, ICDS, and others only provide food to a select group of people such as children under the age of 14, senior citizens, pregnant and lactating women, and so on and that there is no scheme to provide cooked food to the general population.

On January 18, this year, the court ordered all state governments and union territories to file an affidavit indicating the incidence of starvation deaths, if any, and malnutrition.

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