HC directs Azadpur Mandi’s hunger centres to provide labourers two meals a day

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi government to ensure that the two hunger relief centres set up in Azadpur Mandi are provided with enough cooked

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi government to ensure that the two hunger relief centres set up in Azadpur Mandi are provided with enough cooked food so that they can provide the labourers stranded there packed lunch and dinner every day.

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A bench of justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad also sought the Delhi government’s response on the plea by the Potato and Onion Merchant Association through its president seeking direction to ensure that about 1,000 labourers stranded at Azadpur Mandi, Delhi, during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown are provided two square meals a day, till normalcy is restored in the mandi.

The plea filed through advocates Sumit Rana and Amit Jain sought that the stranded workers be relocated to a makeshift shelter home within or around Azadpur Mandi.

On Tuesday, the counsels for the petitioner told the court that the labourers are stranded due to the lockdown since only a minimal number of shops have reopened. They said that the workers, who live hand-to-mouth, have been sleeping outside the shops and sheds where social distancing norms are difficult to follow.

The plea also said that several letters were written to the authorities, but so far there has been no response from them.

Appearing for the Delhi government, its additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal told the court that there are 34 relief centres in the Model Town sub-division, and two hunger relief centres are situated within the Azadpur Mandi.

He, however, sought time to file an affidavit furnishing the requisite details detailing how the needs of the labourers stranded at Azadpur Mandi are being met, not only in respect of shelter but also of two square meals a day.

Following this, the court said, “An affidavit shall be filed by the Delhi government with all the relevant data on or before June 6… In the meantime, the government shall ensure that the two hunger relief centres set up in Azadpur Mandi are provided with enough cooked food so that the labourers stranded there can be provided packed lunch and dinner daily”.