<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to frame a model scheme for opening community kitchens across the states, wondering if it was believable that no death was reported due to starvation.</p>.<p>The top court also asked why political parties, which announced freebies during elections, did nothing against the malnutrition.</p>.<p>A bench presided over by Chief Justice N V Ramana said the states should file a reply in two weeks on malnutrition and starvation deaths.</p>.<p>The court took into consideration a submission by Attorney General K K Venugopal who said that no starvation death has been reported by the states.</p>.<p>"States have reported no deaths due to starvation, is it believable," the bench asked him.</p>.<p>“Can we afford to take that there is no starvation death in the country," the court asked further, emphasising the need to end hunger.</p>.<p>Hearing a plea by Arun Dhawan and others related to subsidised canteens across the states and union territories, the bench, comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli told Venugopal that the Union government should give the latest data on starvation deaths. </p>.<p>The bench said that central government should frame a model scheme for community kitchens and leave it on state governments to implement it. </p>.<p>The court clarified that it didn't mean that a universal scheme should be framed, as there was no straitjacket formula to address the issue, but at least government can frame a model scheme. The Centre can explore possibility of providing additional food grains to the state governments and they can take care of logistics, it added.</p>.<p>The court also said States may have to tweak the model scheme to suit local food habits. It also referred to Indira canteen scheme launched by the Karnataka government.</p>.<p>Venugopal, for his part, said that not a single state government has reported starvation death, but pointed at news report claiming that a starvation death was reported in Tamil Nadu since the doctors did not find food in the body of the 5-year-old child in the post mortem. </p>.<p>He cited scarcity of funds for the operationality of community kitchens scheme across the country, to address hunger and malnutrition, saying the Centre was already funding 131 welfare schemes. </p>.<p>The petitioners counsel Ashima Mandla asked the court to set up an expert committee in the matter to formulate scheme for community kitchens across the country. </p>.<p>The court fixed the matter for further hearing after three weeks. </p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH videos:</strong></p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to frame a model scheme for opening community kitchens across the states, wondering if it was believable that no death was reported due to starvation.</p>.<p>The top court also asked why political parties, which announced freebies during elections, did nothing against the malnutrition.</p>.<p>A bench presided over by Chief Justice N V Ramana said the states should file a reply in two weeks on malnutrition and starvation deaths.</p>.<p>The court took into consideration a submission by Attorney General K K Venugopal who said that no starvation death has been reported by the states.</p>.<p>"States have reported no deaths due to starvation, is it believable," the bench asked him.</p>.<p>“Can we afford to take that there is no starvation death in the country," the court asked further, emphasising the need to end hunger.</p>.<p>Hearing a plea by Arun Dhawan and others related to subsidised canteens across the states and union territories, the bench, comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli told Venugopal that the Union government should give the latest data on starvation deaths. </p>.<p>The bench said that central government should frame a model scheme for community kitchens and leave it on state governments to implement it. </p>.<p>The court clarified that it didn't mean that a universal scheme should be framed, as there was no straitjacket formula to address the issue, but at least government can frame a model scheme. The Centre can explore possibility of providing additional food grains to the state governments and they can take care of logistics, it added.</p>.<p>The court also said States may have to tweak the model scheme to suit local food habits. It also referred to Indira canteen scheme launched by the Karnataka government.</p>.<p>Venugopal, for his part, said that not a single state government has reported starvation death, but pointed at news report claiming that a starvation death was reported in Tamil Nadu since the doctors did not find food in the body of the 5-year-old child in the post mortem. </p>.<p>He cited scarcity of funds for the operationality of community kitchens scheme across the country, to address hunger and malnutrition, saying the Centre was already funding 131 welfare schemes. </p>.<p>The petitioners counsel Ashima Mandla asked the court to set up an expert committee in the matter to formulate scheme for community kitchens across the country. </p>.<p>The court fixed the matter for further hearing after three weeks. </p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH videos:</strong></p>