New
Delhi:
All states must implement “One Nation, One Ration” scheme for migrant workers
by July 31, the Supreme Court said today, underlining that the states must also
“run community kitchens to feed the migrants till the end of the pandemic”.
For
registration of the migrant workers, the top court has told the central
government to put in place a portal by July 31. The central government has also
been asked to allocate additional food grains to states.
The
top court had taken up this issue of relief to migrants on its own.
A
two-judge bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and MR Shah said, “The central
government must develop and put in place a portal for registering unorganised
and migrant workers, and start the process not later than July 31.”
The
“One Nation, One Ration” scheme allows all eligible ration card holders or
beneficiaries - covered under the NFSA (National Food Security Act) - to access
their entitlements from anywhere in the country.
The
states must bring in a scheme for distribution of dry ration to migrants, the Supreme
Court said today.
“States
that have not implemented the scheme must do the same before July 31,” the
two-judge bench said in a stern reminder.
Earlier
on May 24, the top court had termed “very slow” the process of registration of
unorganised workers and had directed authorities to provide dry ration and make
operational community kitchens for migrant workers stranded throughout the
country.
Last
year, when India announced one of the world's strictest lockdowns to check the
spread of coronavirus, many migrants were left without jobs and means to
survive. Many of them left big cities to head to their villages on foot.
Distressing visuals and their plight had caught the nation's attention.
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