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"You want to break away from the Union of India?": SC to Gujarat govt over non-implementation of food security act

Speed News Desk | Updated on: 14 February 2017, 5:33 IST

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Gujarat government why it was not implementing the National Food Security Act 2013, and said, "You (Gujarat government) want to break away from the Union of India? It is an act passed by Parliament", reports The Telegraph.

The two-judge bench hearing a PIL filed by Swaraj Abhiyan, an NGO, that said the act should cover all families in 11 drought-affected states, also asked Parliament and the Centre what it was doing to make Gujarat implement the act.

The National Food Security Act 2013 provides for five kilos of rice for Rs 3 per kg or wheat for Rs 2 per kg for each member of a family that lacks food security. It covers 75 per cent of all families in rural India and 50 per cent of all households in cities.

The advocate representing the Centre, who had earlier been asked to collect information from all states on the scheme, said that Gujarat was not implementing the law at all, because it had reservations about the scheme.

Justice Madan B Lokur then said: "You (Gujarat government) want to break away from the Union of India? It is an act passed by Parliament. Tomorrow, Bihar will say we are not implementing it because Gujarat is not implementing it."

The bench observed: "A law is passed by Parliament. Tomorrow, some other states will say we will not implement it. What is the Government of India doing? What is Parliament doing? What about the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code)? Tomorrow, some other states will say we are not going to implement it (CrPC), we will not implement the IPC, the Indian Evidence Act."


The bench asked twice: "Gujarat is unique? Gujarat is unique?". It added: "But the question is whether you believe in Parliament, or Indian laws? As of now, the law (Act) stands or not? If not, why?"

First published: 2 February 2016, 9:23 IST