The Supreme Court has directed all states and Union Territories to grant ration cards to around eight crore migrant and unorganised sector workers within the next two months so that they can get subsidised foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

These workers are registered in the e-Shram portal of the Union labour ministry but lack ration cards.

Out of 28.60 crore registrants on eShram, 20.63 crore have ration cards while around eight crore do not.

In 2022, an application in a pending case was filed by activists Anjali Bhardwaj, Jagdeep Chhokar and Harsh Mander in the Supreme Court, seeking a directive to provide ration to migrant workers.

The apex court had in April 2023 passed an interim order on the same issue with a three-month time frame.

Earlier this year, the petitioners moved the apex court as the order had not been implemented. On March 19, the Supreme Court issued a fresh order with a time frame
to states and Union Territories to complete granting ration cards to eight crore workers in two months. The apex court has also directed the Union government to complete the e-KYC procedure for these new beneficiaries so that their credentials are verified.

“The aforesaid exercise is directed to be undertaken by the State Governments/Union Territories and completed within two months. Compliance affidavits shall be filed with copies furnished to learned counsel for the Union of India...,” said the order.

The matter will come up for hearing again on July 16.

Bhardwaj told The Telegraph that after last year’s order, which was meant to
be implemented in three months, the Centre came up with an “excuse” that the e-KYC verification had not been done for the workers. “Now, the Supreme Court has dismissed the excuse of the central government on e-KYC compliance. The present
direction is comprehensive,” she said.

The NFSA provides subsidised ration to two-third households in rural areas and half the households in urban areas. The Centre bears the subsidy, making ration free for beneficiaries.

Currently, 81 crore people get the benefits of 5kg ration per person in a month for
free.

Sameet Panda, a social activist associated with the Right To Food Campaign, said that the e-Shram portal takes note of many eligible beneficiaries who were out of the loop in the 2011 census.

“The central government has not conducted the census in 2021. The data of beneficiaries is limited to the census data of 2011. Many new families and new beneficiaries have come up in the last 13 years uncovered under the NFSA. E-Shram has captured such people to an extent,” Panda said.

Guna Nayak, a migrant worker in Delhi from Kendrapada district of Odisha, said his family did not have the protective umbrella of the NFSA either in Delhi or in Odisha.

“I do not stay in Odisha. So my name is not there. Here in Delhi, I have my Aadhaar card and bank account but the ration card dealer says new cards are not being made now,” Nayak said.