CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO SUPREME COURT:‘No state reported data on starvation deaths'

 The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to prepare a model to implement the Community Kitchen scheme across the country and for providing additional food grains to states to run it, saying that presently the issue of "hunger has to be taken care of ".

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana, during the hearing, took a strong note of the submissions of Attorney General K K Venugopal that no state has reported starvation death by saying, "Are you making a statement that there are no starvation deaths in the country now."

The law officer told the bench, also comprising justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli, that no such information has been given by the states and the fact about malnutrition cannot be denied.

The bench said that besides framing the scheme, the Centre will file an affidavit on providing extra food grains to states which have been given liberty to file affidavits on issues of "malnutrition, starvation deaths".

While adjourning the hearing in the case by three weeks, it agreed with the submission of the Centre that the logistical issues, for implementation of the community kitchen scheme, will have to be taken care of by state governments.