SHC seeks comments on quality of rations being distributed in Lyari

The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the provincial law officer to file comments on lack of ration and how its distribution was being carried out in different parts of District South, including Lyari, as well as on complaints of substandard quality of food and ration being given away by the provincial government.

The direction came on a petition of Ahsan Ali, who sought the promulgation of the Emergency Relief Ordinance for the welfare of the public in the lockdown period. The provincial law officer filed a statement on the draft of the Sindh Covid-19 emergency relief ordinance, which, he said, was likely to be promulgated by the government in order to provide relief to poor and low-income citizens.

He submitted that the proposed ordinance would provide several types of relief to the poor people, including low-income groups, with regard to the reduction in tuition fees, utility bills and house and shop rents.

He stated that the government had also constituted a committee to distribute ration bags among needy persons, including daily-wage earners, labourers and other poor segments of society, at the union council, committee and ward level and the distribution of ration was being supervised by the deputy commissioners of the respective districts.

The petitioner stated that though the committee had been constituted there was no distribution of ration in several parts of District South, including Lyari, where the majority of citizens were poor or belonged to the low-income group.

He also complained that substandard food items had been supplied to people by the government in ration bags. A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar directed the provincial law officer to call the deputy commissioner of District South as well as the chairman of the DMC South, and file comments with regard to the complaints of lack of distribution of ration as well as substandard quality of food items being supplied by the government to people in ration bags.

The court also issued notices to the DMC South as well as the chairman of the DMC South to appear in person on April 30. The chief secretary had earlier filed a statement before the court mentioning details of the distribution of rations and financial aid among needy persons.