Implement 'One Nation, One Ration Card' by 31 July: SC

The SC also dubbed the 'lackadaisical attitude' of the Ministry of Labour and Employment as "unpardonable."

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, 29 June directed states and union territories to implement the 'one nation, one ration card' scheme by 31 July.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, 29 June, directed states and union territories to implement the 'one nation, one ration card' scheme by 31 July.

Further, dubbing the 'lackadaisical attitude' of the Ministry of Labour and Employment as 'unpardonable,' the top court directed the Centre to develop a portal with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC) by 31 July for the registration of unorganised sector workers, so that they may be able to accrue some benefits.

The Centre was also directed to allocate food grains to states and Union Territories for free-of-cost distribution among migrant workers until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

MORE DETAILS

The Supreme Court, as per ANI, issued the following direction pertaining to the supply of dry ration and setting up of community kitchens for the migrant workers:

• States and UTs must run community kitchens for migrant workers till the end of the pandemic.

• Governments to implement 'one nation one ration card' scheme by 31 July.

• Centre to develop a portal, in consultation with NIC, and register unorganised and migrant workers, and commence the process by 31 July.

PREVIOUSLY

The SC, on 11 June, took a 'strong note' of the delay in development of a software meant to register workers of unorganised sector, in a bid to create a national database.

The top court also questioned the Centre on how the benefit of free food grain till November this year under the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna' would reach to migrant labourers having no ration cards.

STATES TO HAVE IMPLEMENTED IT SO FAR

As of March 2021, 17 states had operationalised the 'One Nation-One Ration Card' system.

The 17 states that have implemented the system so far are:

• Andhra Pradesh

• Goa

• Gujarat

• Haryana

• Himachal Pradesh

• Karnataka

• Kerala

• Madhya Pradesh

• Manipur

• Odisha

• Punjab

• Rajasthan

• Tamil Nadu

• Telangana

• Tripura

• Uttarakhand

• Uttar Pradesh

BUT, WHAT IS THIS SYSTEM?

The One Nation-One Ration Card system, is believed to be a 'citizen-centric reform'.

It aims to ensure availability of ration to beneficiaries, especially the migrant workers and their families, under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes at any fair price shop (FPS) across the country.The One Nation-One Ration Card system, is believed to be a 'citizen-centric reform'.

It aims to ensure availability of ration to beneficiaries, especially the migrant workers and their families, under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes at any fair price shop (FPS) across the country.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI and NDTV.)