New Delhi: The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a Public Interest Litigation filed by petitioner Dipika Jagatram Sahani, seeking directions to provide food and healthcare facilities to children and lactating mothers, because the entire Anganwadi system has shut due to the lockdown.

The petition states that the children dependent on the Anganwadis are in a big crisis now. Children are not getting proper food and other facilities. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, issued notice to the Union of India and all states after hearing the PIL. The bench said, “We will consider the PIL.” 

Sahani had filed the Petition seeking directions to the parties, including the Centre and all the state government for providing health and food to children claiming that over 14 lakh Anganwadis across the country were closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

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The petitioner has contended that, “An abrupt lockdown with little preparation, triggered by Covid-19 is threatening a further blow to decades of slow progress in lowering malnutrition.”In the absence of any certainty as to the reopening of schools amid Covid-19 pandemic, it is necessary that the state governments draw up an action plan with a monitoring mechanism for proper distribution of food, ration, etc, said the petition.

–  India Legal Bureau