Supreme Court Grants Three More Months for Ration Cards to Migrant Labourers: Ensuring Access to Welfare Schemes
20-04-2023 : On Thursday, the Supreme Court granted an additional three months to all states and union territories to provide rations cards to migrant workers registered on the e-shram portal. The purpose of this extension is to allow migrant workers to access government “benevolent schemes” under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The court also directed the government to publicize the granting of ration cards so that workers are aware of their eligibility for benefits. The court’s decision was based on an application by Anjali Bhardwaj, Harsh Mander, and Jagdeep Chhokkar, who had requested that ration cards be provided to migrant workers regardless of the quota of ration under the NFSA.
The Supreme Court had previously ruled that the government cannot deny ration cards to migrant workers solely based on the population ratio under the NFSA. The court stated that in a welfare state, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that every citizen benefits from welfare schemes. The Centre reported that 28.86 crore workers have registered on the e-Shram portal, and data sharing is occurring among 24 states and their labor departments. However, many workers do not have ration cards, which prevent them from accessing benefits.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the activists, raised the issue of ration cards and stated that the majority of workers are deprived of ration despite being registered on the portal. The court had reserved its order after hearing the parties. The court had earlier issued directions to provide welfare measures for migrant workers and ordered states and union territories to frame schemes for providing free dry rations until the COVID-19 pandemic subsided. It had also directed states and union territories to register all establishments and license all contractors under the law to ensure that the statutory duty is imposed on contractors to provide particulars of migrant workers.
