SC gives three more months to states, UTs to issue ration cards to migrant labourers
New Delhi, April 21: Supreme Court has granted three more months to states and union territories to provide rations cards to migrant labourers registered on the 'e-shram' government portal, enabling avail of benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Granting ration cards to migrant labourers registered on the portal be given wide publicity, said the bench of Justices MR Shah and Ahsanuddin Amanullah.
"We give further three months time to concerned States and Union Territories to issue left out ration cards and register migrants on the portal. Concerned authorities to inform Collectors so more and more can take the benefit under NFSA," the bench stated.
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The order came in response to an application submitted by petitioners Anjali Bhardwaj, Harsh Mander, and Jagdeep Chhokkar, who demanded that rations be provided to migrant labour regardless of the NFSA quota.
On April 17, the Supreme Court ruled that the Centre and State governments could not refuse migrant workers ration cards only because the population ratio under the NFSA had not been properly maintained. It had stated that every citizen should benefit from welfare schemes and that under a welfare state, it is the government's responsibility to reach out to people.
In February of this year, the Supreme Court asked the Centre and all state governments to provide information on the number of migrant workers who received food under the NFSA and other benefits under various government schemes after learning that out of nearly 38 crore migrant workers across the country, approximately 28 crore had registered on the Centre's online portal e-Shram.
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- ANI
