New Delhi: Coming to the rescue of a poor
woman who delivered a baby but could not able to feed the
child as her breast milk stopped due to malnutrition, the
Delhi High Court directed MCD to issue her a ration card to
obtain grains under Antyodaya Anna Yojna(AAY) scheme.
In an interim order, Justice S Muralidhar also asked
the civic agency to ensure that the mother-child duo get
proper medical assistance and to arrange an ambulance to take
her to G B Pant hospital for further treatment.
Meanwhile, the Centre`s counsel assured the Court that
it will instruct the Delhi government`s concerned department
to give Rs 500 to Fatima under the National Maternity Benefit
Scheme.
The Court directed that in case the cash benefit was
not given to the woman, the Health Secretary of the Delhi
government and the Joint Secretary of Union Health Ministry
should be present before the court on January 13, the next
date of hearing.
Justice Muralidhar was hearing a petition filed by
Fatima through her mother Jaitun who brought her daughter`s
plight to the court`s notice and alleged MCD has failed to
provide ration card despite repeated request.
Fatima`s mother had approached a social worker after
her daughter delivered a child early this month in a maternity
home run by MCD in Jangpura and the condition of both
mother-child had deteriorated due to lack of food.
With the help of the social worker, Fatima applied for
a ration card but MCD officials failed to issue the card.
PTI
