Implement 'one nation, one ration card' scheme till July 31: Supreme Court
Supreme Court has directed states, union territories to implement 'one nation, one ration card' scheme
The Supreme Court has directed states, union territories to implement a 'one nation, one ration card' scheme (ONORC) till July 31, news agency PTI reported. A bench of justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah issued a slew of directions on a plea of three activists seeking directions to the Centre and state to ensure food security, cash transfers and other welfare measures for migrant workers who faced distress again due to curfews and lockdowns in various parts of the country during the second wave of COVID-19.
The bench has said ONORC scheme is for welfare of poor citizens as it allows migrant workers to get ration at the place of their work in other states as well where their ration cards are not registered.
A bench of justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah had on June 11 reserved its judgement on pleas of activists Anjali Bharadwaj, Harsh Mander and Jagdeep Chhokar seeking the implementation of welfare measures for migrant workers hit hard again by the curbs imposed during the second wave of COVID-19.
While reserving the order, the bench had asked the states and union territories (UTs) to implement ‘one nation, one ration card’ (ONORC) scheme as it allows migrant workers to get ration at the place of their work in other states as well where their ration cards are not registered.
The Centre had said that while most states were implementing the ONORC, four of them -- Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and West Bengal -- had not done so and implementing it would depend on their technical readiness.
-With inputs from PTI
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