Hordes of homeless and daily wagers being fed at a shelter home at Yamuna Pushta, New Delhi. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal/File)THE DELHI High Court has directed the Delhi government to examine whether two meals per day are sufficient to meet the minimum nutritional requirements of persons in homeless shelters and asked it to take adequate measures depending on the recommendations of experts.
“We further recommend to the Government of NCT of Delhi that, as and when the financial position permits, they may provide three meals per day to homeless persons living in shelter homes. We also recommend to the Government of NCT of Delhi to at least provide three meals per day to children living in shelter homes, looking at the prevalent pandemic situation,” said the division bench of Chief Justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan in an order released on Wednesday.
The Delhi government had earlier submitted before the court that two meals per day are sufficient looking at the overall situation prevailing in the capital, including its financial position.
The March 28 notification issued by the central government directing all states and union territories to provide three meals a day in shelter homes came to an end on August 31.
The HC noted, “The policy decisions of the state are always based upon the priorities of the executive. The writ court cannot alter the policy decision of the government unless any illegality or otherwise is pointed out in detail.”