Implement ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme till July 31: Supreme Court directs all States and Union Territories

Implement ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme till July 31: Supreme Court directs all States and Union Territories
Image source: Hindustan Times
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Keypoints:

  • Under National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ programme is a national platform which digitises ration cards, details of beneficiaries, monthly quota of ration.
  • The Supreme Court has also issued a slew of directions asking the Central Government to provide dry ration among the migrant workers for free of cost until Covid-19 situation relaxes.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed all the States and Union Territories to implement the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme by July 2021. The Supreme Court has also issued a slew of directions asking the Central Government to provide dry ration among the migrant workers for free of cost until Covid-19 situation relaxes. Under NFSA, 2013, India provides foodgrains at lower costs to nearly 800 million beneficiaries all across the country.

The One Nation, One Ration Card is a programme is a national platform digitises ration cards, details of beneficiaries, monthly quota of ration under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. It also allows withdrawals through electronic point of sale machines, thus allowing the mobility of ration benefits.

Directions were issued to the Central government by the bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice MR Shah. The directions were in relation to the welfare of unorganized sector workers who were one of the groups which were worst hit by the second wave of the deadly Coronavirus.

In this regard, the Apex Court was hearing a petition which sought directions to the Central as well as State Government in order to ensure food security, cash transfers and other welfare measures for migrant workers who are facing distress due to the curfews and lockdowns in several parts of the country. The plea was filed by activists Anjali Bharadwaj, Harsh Mander and Jagdeep Chhokar.

The Court directed that the Central Government must enlist the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC) in order to develop a portal which will contain a database for the registration of unorganised sector workers. It also added that this process will smoothen out the process to grant benefits of welfare schemes to these workers by July 31.

The Supreme Court also directed that the states and UTs should organise a community kitchen for the migrant workers until the pandemic situation eases. It asked the Centre to continue to allocate food grains to the states and UTs for the distribution among the migrant workers for free till the pandemic eases.