Give dry rations, run community kitchens for migrant employees: SC
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The Supreme Court on Monday ordered States throughout the nation to distribute dry rations to stranded migrant employees with out ration playing cards and run community kitchens for them.
On May 13, the apex court docket had directed States to offer dry rations to migrants within the National Capital Region. On Monday, it prolonged the duty to all of the States.
“Let all States file affidavits indicating the mechanism by which the dry ration should be distributed to those migrant workers who do not possess a ration card,” a Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M.R. Shah directed.
The court docket left it to the discretion of particular person States to utilise both the Centre’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme, which was carried out for giving dry rations to migrant employees in May and June of 2020, or another different scheme. But the court docket underscored that “dry ration has to be distributed to the migrant workers throughout the country by the States”.
The Bench held it was the duty of the States and Union Territories to run community kitchens for migrant labourers “who have lost their employment and are in need of two meals a day”.
“We direct all the States/Union Territories to make operational community kitchens to stranded migrant workers wherever they may be situated in the country,” the Supreme Court ordered.
Wide publicity
The Bench directed that “wide publicity” ought to be given in regards to the varied welfare schemes for migrant employees, together with areas of community kitchens, in order that needy individuals would profit.
The court docket recorded in its order that migrant employees who’re already beneficiaries underneath the National Food Security Act ought to be inspired to make use of the power of portability underneath One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC). It, nevertheless, refused a plea to direct States to offer direct money transfers to migrant employees, saying this was a matter of coverage regarding particular person States or UTs.
The 16-page order got here on submissions made by advocate Prashant Bhushan, showing for some activists, that the variety of community kitchens in Delhi offering cooked meals had diminished this 12 months. Cash transfers have been restricted to development employees within the National Capital. He mentioned neither the Centre nor the States had supplied dry rations to stranded migrant employees underneath the Atma Nirbhar Scheme throughout the nation.
Centre’s assertion
In its affidavit, the Centre mentioned Delhi had “satisfactorily dealt” with the preliminary exodus of migrant employees. “As on date, there is no problem regarding transportation of stranded migrant workers,” the Centre’s affidavit mentioned.
The Railways, it mentioned, have been notified as early as on April 20 to “manage the exodus”.
“As on date, most of the industries are working and there is no such large scale of cessation of employment of workers in the second wave of COVID-19,” the Centre submitted.
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