4 days ago
Andhra Pradesh High Court Orders Food Security Vigilance Committees
The Andhra Pradesh High Court wants special committees to check whether food-security rules are being followed.
These committees must work at the state, district, mandal and fair price shop levels.
The court gave the state government two months to create and activate them.
A charitable trust had complained that the committees were missing.
It asked for meetings every three months and public details about those meetings.
The government said it had already created a state-level committee.
It also said officials had been told to create committees at other levels.
After hearing both sides, the court ordered the government to proceed within two months.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered vigilance committees at four administrative levels.
The committees must be established and made operational within two months.
They will monitor implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
The directive followed a PIL alleging the committees had not been formed as required.
The government cited existing orders creating a state committee and directing lower-level committees.
- Who
- The Andhra Pradesh High Court, the Andhra Pradesh government and Help the People Charitable Trust chairman K. Akhil Sri Guruteja.
- What
- The court directed the government to establish and operationalize vigilance committees for food-security oversight.
- Where
- Andhra Pradesh, at state, district, mandal and fair price shop levels.
- When
- The order was issued after a recent hearing; the committees must be set up within two months.
- Why
- To supervise implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
Petitioner’s concerns
Government’s response
Whether committees had been established
Petitioner’s concerns
The petitioner argued that the state had failed to set up vigilance committees as required under the National Food Security Act.
Government’s response
The government said it had already created a state-level committee and directed district collectors and civil supplies officials to establish committees at lower levels.
Regular monitoring and transparency
Petitioner’s concerns
The petitioner sought meetings every three months and publication of meeting details on the state portal.
Government’s response
The government cited earlier orders directing regular meetings and said steps would be taken to conduct them regularly.
Key facts
- Court
- Andhra Pradesh High Court
- Deadline
- Two months to establish and operationalize the committees
- Committee levels
- State, district, mandal and fair price shop
- Relevant law
- National Food Security Act, 2013
- Petition
- A public interest litigation filed by Help the People Charitable Trust chairman K. Akhil Sri Guruteja
- Government order
- GO No. 8, issued on June 30, created a state-level vigilance committee
- Earlier directions
- Orders dated March 20, 2015, and GO No. 16 dated July 25, 2023, were cited by the government
Sources
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