In Brief
The Railway administration denied renewal of catering licenses to existing small vendors under the new Catering Policy 2010, instead calling for fresh competitive bids. The vendors challenged this as arbitrary and discriminatory. The Supreme Court held that existing licensees are entitled to renewal if they meet specified conditions (satisfactory performance, payment of dues, withdrawal of court cases), without participating in fresh tenders. The Court reaffirmed that the right to livelihood is a constitutional guarantee under Article 21 and Article 19(1)(g), and a welfare state must protect the economic dignity of vulnerable workers. The Railways' discriminatory reversal of their own renewal practice violated principles of equality and social justice. The Court dismissed the Railway's appeals.
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