The Delhi High Court on Tuesday decided to hear on 10 July a petition by an Army jawan claiming that poor quality food was being served to them. The matter was mentioned before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra, which listed it before Justice Vinod Goel.
The jawan, posted in Assam, alleged that authorities started harassing him after he complained that the troopers were being served poor quality food. His counsel refused to share any details of the matter claiming that the jawan feared for his life.
Justice Goel fixed the matter for hearing on 10 July. The matter assumes significance as in January, another BSF jawan had made similar allegations on social media which was termed as false by the paramilitary force.
ex-BSF Jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav had posted a video on Facebook showing a meal box comprising a watery soup-like daal which he said had only turmeric and salt, and a burnt chapati.
He had said this was what jawans were served for meals while at duty and claimed that they often went to bed on an empty stomach.
Following this, a public interest litigation was filed in the high court seeking direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs to submit a status report with respect to the quality of food supplied to all paramilitary forces in India.
The petition was filed by a former central government employee in the wake of the video posted on Facebook by Yadav alleging corruption among officers and poor working conditions.
The BSF, however, has brushed aside the petitioner's claim of corruption saying there are committees to deal with purchase of food items and even inspect it after it is cooked.
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