New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday directed all state governments to implement one-nation, one ration card scheme, which allows migrant workers to avail ration benefits from any part of the country, by July 31.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan passed a slew of directions to the Centre and state governments for the benefit of the migrant workers.
The top court order came on an application by activists Harsh Mander, Anjali Bhardwaj and Jagdeep Chhokar, through advocate Prashant Bhushan, seeking directions to ensure that migrant workers are not deprived of ration and food security, and they should also be able to travel back to their homes at nominal cost.
The application was filed in the suo motu case initiated by the top court last year to address migrant labourer crisis during the national lockdown.
During the hearing, the top court said, its main concern is that benefits which are meant for migrant workers must reach them and stressed the process of their registration is woefully slow. The top court said the Centre and state governments must expedite registration of migrant workers and also those working in the unorganised sectors.
