All states should implement ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme by July 31: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the states and union territories to implement the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme by July 31, while providing the Center with free dry ration for distribution to migrant laborers till the COVID-19 situation persists. asked to do A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and MR Shah passed several directions on a plea by three activists seeking directions to the Center and states to ensure food security, cash transfers and other welfare measures for migrant labourers.

This appeal was made in the petition

The petition said that the migrant laborers are facing a crisis due to the imposition of curfew and lockdown in different parts of the country during the second wave of Kovid-19. The bench asked the Center to develop a portal with the help of National Informatics Center (NIC) for registration of workers in the unorganized sector by July 31 so that the benefits of welfare schemes could be passed on to them.

It also directed the states/UTs to operate community kitchens for migrant laborers till the global pandemic situation persists in the respective states. And asked to keep allocating food grains to the Union Territories. Activists Anjali Bhardwaj, Harsh Mander and Jagdeep Chhokar had filed a petition with a request to implement welfare measures for the migrant labourers.