The Madhya Pradesh High Court has disposed of a PIL with liberty to the petitioner to move the Lokayukt for necessary relief on the matter relating to the purposefully rotting of food grains in the open Covered and Plinth (CAP) facilities in all districts of the state.
The PIL has been filed by Satyam Shukla with the following prayers:
“(i) This Court be pleased to direct for the free and fair investigation under the supervision of retired Judge of High Court into the entire matter relating to the purposefully rotting of the food grains in the open CAP facilities in all districts of Madhya Pradesh.
(ii) This Court be further pleased to direct the police to take necessary penal action against the erring respondents and recovery of losses amount who are responsible for that both public and private.
(iii) This Court is pleased to issue direction to the FCI, MP Food and Civil Supply Corporation and MP Warehousing and Logistics Corporation to strictly follow the mapping guidelines for the storage of procured food grains in scientific manner.
(iv) Any other relief, to which the petitioner is found entitled to in the facts and circumstances of the case be granted.
(v) Cost of the petition.
The primary contention of the petitioner is that the food grains have been stocked in the open and not in the constructed warehouses. In order to favour the respondents the Government is not storing the foodgrains in the enclosed warehouses. There is huge loss of the food grains because of the same. It is a further case of the petitioner that in spite of making repeated complaints to the various authorities, there has been no reaction by anyone of them. Hence, he has filed the petition.
On hearing the Counsels, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vishal Mishra was of the view that it may not be appropriate for the High Court to entertain this petition.
However, the petitioner is always entitled to lodge a complaint before the concerned Lokayukt for the said purpose. If such a complaint is lodged, the Court was assured that the Lokayukt would consider the plea of the petitioner.