NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday restrained itself from issuing any contempt notices and granted a last opportunity to the Union and the states to comply with its earlier orders to verify and give ration cards to those migrant workers and unskilled labourers found eligible under the e-Shram portal.
The matter is related to the case in which the top court had on May 26, 2020, taken suo motu cognizance of the problems and miseries the migrant labourers faced during the Covid-19 lockdown.
From time-to-time, the court issued orders on the transportation of migrant labourers from their workplace to their native places and provided dry rations -- without insisting on an identity card -- as well as cooked meals to the stranded migrant workers.
After getting to know that its earlier orders on providing ration cards to those migrant workers and unskilled labourers found eligible under the e-Shram portal were not provided, the court said that failing to comply with this order would force it to call the Secretary of Food or the authority concerned from states to explain the reason for non-compliance.
It has directed states to file an affidavit where identification of eligible persons has been done but they are yet to be issued ration cards.
Although the suo motu proceedings were initiated during the Covid pandemic to grant ration to migrant workers, the scope of the proceedings has been expanded to provide ration cards to migrant and unorganised labourers, who are registered in the e-Sharm portal but do not have ration cards. It also includes those not covered under the NFSA on grounds that the right to food is protected under Article 21.
According to the SC order, states were directed to find out the number of migrants and unskilled labourers eligible for the ration cards, including those who have become ineligible subsequently.
Those eligible were to be verified through KYC and were to be registered under the e-Shram portal to receive ration cards and ration.
Linked to pandemic
SC had taken suo motu cognizance of the problems that the migrant labourers faced during the Covid-19 lockdown. From time-to-time, the court issued orders on the transportation of labourers to their native places