The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought response of the AAP government on a plea seeking to consider ration dealers under the public distribution system as front-line workers.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh asked the Delhi government’s response to the plea which has contended that since ration dealers have public dealing on a day-to-day basis, they should be considered as front-line essential workers.
The petition moved by the Delhi Ration Dealers’ Union and some fair price shop owners said, “All the benefits of front-line workers should also be given to them [ration dealers], including but not limited to insurance in case of death and coverage of medical expenses.”
“In addition, the supply of essential items like masks and sanitisers should also be provided to them to perform their duties properly and safely,” the petition has said.
The plea also sought deployment of civil defence volunteers for managing the crowd and ensuring social distancing outside the ration shops.
