New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought the Centre's reply on a PIL seeking directions to it to ensure that states and Union Territories provide benefits of welfare schemes, like Pradhan Mantri Garib Anna Kalyan Yojana, to persons with disabilities (PWD) also during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the Centre and sought its stand on the plea by an NGO which has contended that PWD are neglected when reliefs under various food security measures are implemented as most of them do not have ration cards.

Also Read | 69 New COVID-19 Cases Reported in BSF in Past 24 Hours: Live News Breaking & Coronavirus Updates on July 7, 2020.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and central government standing counsel Vijay Goel, appearing for the ministries of Consumer Affairs and Social Justice, told the court at the outset that the NGO was construing an Act of Parliament as a scheme.

This contention was opposed by senior advocate Santosh Kumar Rungta, representing the NGO, who told the bench that under the National Food Security Act, the states and UTs were required to identify the people eligible for foodgrain under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana as well as other priority households.

Also Read | National Commission For Protection of Child Rights Saw 8-Fold Increase in Complaints Post Coronavirus Outbreak? PIB Fact Check Finds The News Report False.

The NGO contended that under the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995, a 3 per cent reservation was provided for all disabled persons in poverty alleviation schemes and this was increased to 5 per cent under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016.

Therefore, the government should ensure that at least 5 per cent of the beneficiaries for foodgrain under the schemes like, Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Garib Anna Kalyan Yojana, are PWD.

The NGO, National Federation of the Blind, also told the court that most of the PWD are institutionalised as they are neglected by their families and such institutions do not provide an address proof to its inmates and therefore, they are unable to get ration cards.

It said that under the NFSA, the Centre has to ensure states and UTs identify the PWD who are eligible for foodgrain under the various schemes and to provide the same to them.

The petition has sought a direction to the Centre to "consider the cases of persons with disabilities and visually impaired persons even without ration cards on the basis of their disability certificates and/ or Unique Disability ID (UDID) for getting benefit under National Food Security Act" and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Anna Kalyan Yojana.

Besides that, it has also sought that foodgrains be provided free of cost to poor PWD as was done for migrant labourers and others during the present pandemic.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)