States/UTs Should Provide Dry Ration, Community Kitchens For Stranded Migrants Workers : SC

What Is The Case

● The Supreme Court on Monday chastised the Centre, States, and Union Territories for being "very late" in registering unorganised jobs, and authorities were ordered to provide dry rations and set up community kitchens for migrant workers stranded across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

● The Supreme Court stated that the registration of migrant and unorganised employees must be completed as soon as possible so that they can benefit from various federal and state programmes.

● The registration process is extremely long. During the hearing, a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah stated orally that they were dissatisfied with the efforts made by the Centre and states to register unorganised employees.

● The Supreme Court, which stated that the registration process must be expedited, ordered that stranded migrant workers throughout the country be given dry rations under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme or any other scheme that the Centre and states deem appropriate.

Details

● The bench ordered that all states and Union Territories (UTs) open community kitchens for stranded migrant workers and that large publicity be given to various schemes, including the locations of community kitchens, so that poor people can take advantage of them.

● The bench stated that the issue of direct cash transfers to unorganised employees is a matter of policy and scheme framed by each state and UT, and that no such direction can be given by the court for any category of individual unless they are protected by any scheme.

● The order was issued in response to an application filed by three activists who requested that the Supreme Court issue directives to the Centre and states to ensure food security, cash transfers, transportation facilities, and other welfare measures for migrant workers who are suffering as a result of the pandemic-related restrictions imposed in various parts of the country.

● The bench said in its order that "we are of the opinion that registration of workers is necessary for accessing any benefit arising from any scheme framed by the Centre or the states for the benefit of unorganised workers or migrant workers."

● We also urge the federal government and state governments to complete the process of registering organised employees as soon as possible so that unorganised workers can profit from various federal and state programmes that are difficult to enforce on the ground without proper registration and identification cards, according to the statement.

Court’s Observation

● The Court noted in its order that the Gujarat government claimed in its affidavit that the Ministry of Labour and Employment had begun the process of creating a detailed national database for unorganised jobs, including migrant and construction workers, in its affidavit filed before the court.

● We believe that the process started by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to create a National Database for unorganised workers should be completed as soon as possible.

● The court ordered all states to submit affidavits outlining the process for distributing dry rations to migrant workers who do not have a ration card.

● In terms of community kitchens, it is the responsibility of the states/Union Territories to provide community kitchens to stranded migrant workers who have lost their jobs and need two meals a day. We direct all states/Union Territories to make community kitchens operational for stranded migrant workers wherever they may be located in the country.

● We, therefore, direct that migrant workers, stranded across the country, be provided with dry rations under the Atma Nirbhar Scheme or any other scheme that the states/Centre deems appropriate, it said.

● The state and UTs must include specifics of cash transfer schemes, according to the bench, which set the matter for hearing on June 11.

● During the hearing, the bench stated that the process of registering migrant workers is extremely slow and that it needs to be accelerated so that they can benefit from various schemes.

● In May of last year, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the problems and sufferings of migrant workers in the midst of the pandemic and issued a slew of directives.

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