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Supreme Court bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice MR Shah has directed the Central Government, NCT of Delhi, State of UP and Haryana to provide dry ration to migrant workers under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme or any other scheme by utilising the Public Distribution System prevalent in each State, with effect from May, 2021.
“While providing dry ration the authorities of the States shall not insist on an identity card for those migrant labourers who do not possess for the time being and on self-declaration made by the stranded migrant labourers dry ration be given to them”, the Court remarked.
The matter concerns with an IA moved by activists Anjali Bhardwaj, Harsh Mander and Jagdeep Chokkar on primarily two grounds concerning Migrant Labourers;
(1) Loss of livelihood and means of income in light of fresh restrictions and lockdown imposed in various States;
(2) Lack of proper arrangement for safe and free travel back to their hometowns;
The applicants pleaded that in April,2021 due to restriction in Delhi, UP, Haryana and the entire NCR, there has been loss of livelihood of migrant labourers and they have started to move to their home districts fearing that lockdown may continue bringing more miseries to them. They also highlighted charging of exorbitant fares from migrant labourers who wanted to go home by private bus owners ranging from 4 to 5 times of normal fares.
They thereafter relied on various schemes implemented by the Central Government such as Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme, Kalyan Ann Yojana last year & prayed for Central Government and State Governments immediately put in place mechanisms to provide rations to all migrant workers and their families who have been excluded from the National Food Security Act and PDS programmes. Further the applicants prayed for provision of free cooked food through networks of community kitchens, hunger relief and feeding centres especially at places where distressed migrant workers were congregating such as industrial areas, homeless shelters, bus stations, train stations and other areas & for extension of transport facilities by the State Governments.
The Court issued directions to the Central Government as well as the Government of State of NCT of Delhi, State of U.P. and State of Haryana (for the Districts included in the NCR) to file a reply to the application suggesting means and measures by which they shall ameliorate miseries of stranded migrant labourers.
Notice has also been issued on to State of Maharashtra, State of Gujarat and State of Bihar to file their reply giving the details of the measures which they propose to take to ameliorate the miseries of migrant workers regarding transportation of stranded migrant workers and providing dry ration as well as cooked meals to the stranded migrant workers.
Further, the following interim directions have also been issued:
The Court has also given last chance with a further 10 days time to NCT of Delhi, State of Uttar Pradesh, State of Haryana, State of Bihar, State of Gujarat, State of Maharashtra and State of Orissa to file their specific responses with respect to the Court’s earlier orders dated 09.06.2020 and 31.07.2020 and steps taken or to be taken and within how much time necessary required steps to be taken.
The matter will now come up for further hearing on May 24, 2021.
Also Read: Plea in Supreme Court Seeks Minimum Wages, Food Security, Transportation Facility And Resuming Of Schemes For Migrant Labourers
Case Title: Re : Problems And Miseries Of Migrant Labourers | Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No(s). 6/2020
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