Supreme Court Seeks Status Reports From Centre, States On Registration Of Migrant Workers, Community Kitchens & Dry Ration

The Supreme Court on Monday called for compliance reports from the Union of India and the State governments on what further actions have been taken to comply with its June, 2021 directions in a suo moto case dealing with the problems of migrant workers.In its judgment delivered on 29th June 2021, the Court had directed all the states to implement the "one nation, one ration card" scheme and to run community kitchens for migrants. The bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M. R. Shah had observed that it is the bounden duty of all States and Governments to provide food security to impoverished persons. The Court had also directed the Centre to create a database for unorganized workers and to develop a portal with NIC for migrant workers and unorganized workers. Activists Harsh Mander, Anjali Bhardwaj and Jagdeep Chhokar have in January this year moved the Supreme Court alleging non-compliance by the Union of India and some states with the directions given by the Supreme Court in its judgment dated June 29, 2021 in the migrant workers case. A miscellaneous application has been filed by the applicants, who were also intervenors in the suo motu case registered by the Supreme Court to deal with the problems of migrant workers during the pandemic.On Monday, the bench of Justices M. R. Shah and B. V. Nagarathna was hearing the application.Advocate Prashant Bhushan, for the applicants, began to submit, "Your Lordships passed some very important directions regarding relief to migrant labourers in June last year. One was that even non-ration card holders should be provided with dry rations..."Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged, "Government is responsible for migrant labourers. But please let these public spirited people also tell your Lordships what they have done for these migrant labourers"At this, Justice Shah put to the SG, "You file the status report, action taken report. There was one direction about the registration of migrant workers and unorganised labourers...""It will have to be filed by the respective states", replied the SG.Justice Shah said, "You also file it".Next, the advocate for the state of Chhattisgarh submitted, "13,300 (fair price) shops are there. Out of that, in about 12,000, we have already installed ePoS, which is the machine which connects Aadhaar card with Ration card. We will file the status report"The bench then proceeded to record in its order that, "Counsel for Chhattisgarh has stated that in complying with the order passed by this court, 'one nation one ration card' has been implemented".In its order dictated on Monday, the bench further directed as follows- "By detailed order dated 29.6.2021, various directions were issued by this court which reads as under: (…). Union of India and the concerned state governments are directed to submit compliance report on what further actions are taken to comply with the aforesaid directions. To be filed within a period of four weeks from today."The present MA has sought directions to the Union of India to file status report with respect to the directions contained in the judgement dated 29.6.2021 specifically indicating:Steps taken with regard to undertaking exercise under Section 9 of the National Food Security Act, 2013 to re- determine the total number of persons to be covered under Rural and Urban areas of the State.Details of food grains provided by Union of India to state governments in order to implement schemes for providing rations to migrant workers, including details of states which sought additional foodgrains, details of quantity provided etc.The application has sought directions to all respondent state governments to immediately implement the direction contained in the judgement dated 29.6.2021 to bring in place an appropriate scheme for distribution of dry ration to migrant workers without insistence on furnishing of identity proof.Further direction to file a status report indicating details of scheme formulated, number of people covered under the said scheme, the amount of dry ration distributed to each person and number of times rations were provided to people under the scheme.The applicants have urged the Court to direct all respondent state governments to immediately implement the direction to run community kitchens at prominent places where large number of migrant labourers are found to provide cooked food and file a status report indicating details of number of community kitchens set up by state governments and whether these kitchens are functional as on date.Further orders have been sought to identify and hold responsible, the officers concerned in different States and the Centre for non compliance of Court's order in suo motu caseOn 29.6.2021, the court disposed off the suo motu case by issuing following directions:(i) It is directed that the Central Government to develop the Portal in consultation with National Informatics Centre (NIC) for registration of the unorganized labourers/migrant workers. We also impress upon and...

Supreme Court Seeks Status Reports From Centre, States On Registration Of Migrant Workers, Community Kitchens & Dry Ration

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