New Delhi, March 19 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the ineffective distribution of subsidised essential goods, noting that while many States claim to provide rations to Below-Poverty-Line (BPL) families, the benefits often do not reach the intended beneficiaries.
A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh criticized the States for using ration cards as a mere statistical tool to project welfare efforts.
"Ration cards have become 'popularity cards' now. States boast about the number of cards issued, but the real question is whether the benefits are actually reaching the deserving poor," Justice Kant remarked.
The observations were made during the hearing of a suo motu case initiated in re...