The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre and the Delhi government to strictly abide by the terms of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) and Janani Suraksha Yojana on a plea which sought the implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013, in the slum cluster of Holambi Kalan area of the Capital.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also directed the Centre and Women and Child Development Department, the government of NCT" to ensure that the schemes are strictly and efficiently implemented and all the benefits thereunder are released to the beneficiaries".
The court's direction comes on the plea which contended that pregnant and lactating women have been facing challenges in getting the cash assistance benefit under the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY). It sought directions to the respondents to ensure the implementation of the grievance redressal mechanism under the statutory enactment.
In its response, the Centre filed an affidavit explaining that the IGMSY for pregnant women and lactating mothers was launched in October 2010, on a pilot basis in 53 districts across the country.
Initially, monetary benefit of Rs 4,000 was being disbursed under this scheme which was revised to Rs 6,000 with effect from July 5, 2013, with the enactment of the National Food Security Act, 2013. The scheme was implemented through the state governments and the Union Territories and the performance/proper implementation was directly linked to the governance of the state.
"Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana stands substituted by Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) with effect from 1st January, 2017," the affidavit stated.
On the other hand, the government of NCT submitted that there were difficulties with regard to identification of the beneficiaries for want of details of the Aadhaar card and as a result thereof, the same was not linked with their bank accounts.
