Sufficient food available in Lakshadweep, administration tells HC

‘National Food Security Act implemented in letter and spirit’

Sufficient quantity of essential food items is available in all the 10 inhabited islands of Lakshadweep and the administration has been taking various proactive measures to ensure supply of food and other essential material to the islanders, according to a statement filed by the Lakshadweep Administration in the Kerala High Court. In the statement in response to a writ petition alleging starvation on the islands, S. Asker Ali, Collector of Lakshadweep, said that the administration was implementing the National Food Security Act in its letter and spirit. Besides, it had already implemented the one nation, one ration card scheme which enabled card-holders to get their foodgrain from any of the fair price shops on the islands. These fair price shops would open even during the lockdown. At present shutdown is in place on four islands — Kavarathi, Bitra, Kiltan and Minicoy — where shops selling essentials and groceries were allowed to open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on a daily basis. Night curfew from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. was in place on the remaining six islands — Agatti, Kadamath, Amini, Androth, Kalpeni and Chettlah.