PIL on hoarding: Govt to begin free ration Police question distribution for May, June Youth Cong chief
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s crime branch visited the office of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Friday and questioned its president, B V Srinivas, over the source of oxygen cylinders and other life-saving drugs with which he was helping Covid-19 patients and their families, at a time when the Capital is struggling with a shortage of both resources and essential drugs amid the fourth wave of Covid-19.
The police’s action invited criticism from Congress, though Delhi Police has questioned politicians across the spectrum delivering such aid on the direction of the Delhi High Court.
Videos of the police team inside IYC headquarters made the rounds on social media, after which many people, including senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, tweeted with the trending hashtag #Istandwithiyc.
Over the past few weeks, Srinivas has emerged as the humanitarian face of the crisis that gripped many parts of India and especially the national capital, delivering oxygen cylinders and concentrators, and finding hospital beds for those in need.
Government officials aware of the matter said Srinivas was questioned as part of their ongoing probe into alleged black marketing and hoarding of medical supplies. A pubic interest litigation was filed in the Delhi high court alleging that some politicians were hoarding and distributing essential medicines.
The crime branch, in the last five days, has questioned people from other political parties too. Police have recorded statements of AAP MLA Dilip Pandey, BJP Delhi spokesperson Harish Khurana, former Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma, among others.
Khurana confirmed that he too was contacted by the crime branch. “The police investigation is based on court’s direction. They are asking all those, including people from BJP, who provided help to others. It is wrong to say that this is being done on the Centre’s directions,” he said.
Srinivas said: “The police team came to find the source of our supply. They said they have to submit a reply to the high court. They took the statement of people from other parties too. We have done nothing wrong. We will continue to help people.”
Commenting on Srinivas’ questioning by the Delhi police, Randeep Singh Surjewala, general secretary of the Congress, tweeted, “People of this country must decide if helping people with oxygen or providing medicines… is a crime... Maybe this is a crime, so Delhi police is questioning our youth Congress president BV Srinivas.”
Though Delhi police did not issue any statement on Friday, spokesperson, Chinmoy Biswal, said they had already issued a clarification on Wednesday: “In compliance to the directions of the high court, an enquiry is being conducted and we are questioning several people.”
When contacted, senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey said, “People like us have some form of political backing, but think about those...individuals who are selflessly helping others. In the coming days, if we see a third wave, fewer people will come out to help fearing police questioning .”
Pandey added the timing and manner in which these investigations are being carried out is wrong. “They must do it in a considerate way. It should not be that they waste all their time going after innocent people while the actual culprits roam free,” he said.
BJP’S East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir tweeted on Friday saying that the opposition should not indulge in needless politicization. “Delhi Police has asked for a reply from us & we’ve provided all details,” he tweeted. Gambhir did not respond to requests for comment.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Friday told its officers to start distributing fully subsidised rations for May and June to the city’s 7.2 million ration beneficiaries, a programme that has been delayed due to the Covid-19 surge in the Capital, adding to the hardships of thousands of families amid a lockdown that has deprived several of their daily incomes.
The government said in a statement on Friday: “Food and civil supplies minister Imran Hussain today convened a highlevel meeting to review the distribution of free ration... During the meeting, the minister directed officers to ensure that ration distribution is carried out in a smooth, convenient and transparent manner.”
A senior government official said the distribution is likely to start from Saturday, and the additional ration allotted under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna is scheduled to be distributed from Monday.
Approximately 1.78 million households in Delhi hold ration cards, which cater to 7.2 million beneficiaries.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 4 said the state will give free ration for two months to card holders in the light of the ongoing lockdown.
A similar scheme was announced during the lockdown last year as well.
Ration in Delhi is usually distributed in a week-long window between 27th of the previous month and 3rd of the concerned month – which means the distribution in May has been delayed by more than 11 days, which a senior government official attributed to the unprecedented fourth wave of the pandemic.
“...while collecting ration, people will still have to take utmost precautions,” said the official, who asked not to be named.
“We are struggling for food. For the last few days, we have been going to a nearby shelter where meals are distributed for free. But that entails an immense risk in terms of getting infected by the virus. We have two children,” said Ramesh Prajapati, a 45-year-old factory worker in west Delhi’s Mayapuri industrial area, who along with his wife Anita, a domestic worker, have been without any stable income for around three weeks now.
Right to Food campaign member Anjali Bhardwaj said, “Lockdown was imposed in Delhi nearly a month ago, which has resulted in cessation of income earning opportunities for the working poor... In such a situation, it is shocking and absolutely unacceptable that the Delhi government has delayed the distribution of ration for the month of May...”
Shailendra Kumar, president of Delhi public distribution system welfare association, said “Now that ration will finally be distributed, the government has to ensure that all protocols are in place for safety and security of beneficiaries and ration shop owners and managers. Ration shops should be given PPE and safety gears too.”