UPDATE 16: Landmark Order by Supreme Court (May 2003)

Dear friends,

This is to alert you to a new and crucial Supreme Court order, dated 2 May 2003, which has just been officially released. The full text of the order is given below, and is also posted on the website (www.righttofood.com). A Hindi translation will be posted on the website within a day or two.

Among the major directions included in this order are: (1) doubling of grain and cash allocations for India's main employment programme (SGRY) for an initial period of three months, and (2) addition of six specific groups (including "widows without support", "primitive tribes", etc.) in the Antyodaya programme of food-based social security. These directions are potentially very important, especially for drought-affected areas. As always, however, they may not be implemented unless there is sustained public pressure at all levels.

Please consider taking up this issue in your own area of influence.

It is particularly important to ensure that the expansion of SGRY does take place mmediately. Relief works tend to come to a standstill with the monsoon rains; if the expansion of SGRY allocations is to be effective, it has to happen very soon. This requires pressure on both the central government (to release the grain and cash) and the state governments (to utilize the allocations).

The new order is also significant in that it signals a new perspective on the whole matter (perhaps associated with the changed composition of the Bench). For instance, it contains an explicit reference to the "right to food", and links Article 21 (on the right to life) with Article 47 (on nutrition and health as primary duties of the state).

Further updates on this and other matters, especially the right to work, will follow soon.

TO READ THE ORDER PLEASE CLICK HERE