The Supreme Court of India has issued a stern directive to all state governments, reprimanding them for delays in the registration of migrant workers. The apex court ordered that registration on the e-Shram portal must be completed within a month to ensure that migrant workers can receive ration cards.
This directive came after it was noted with displeasure that several states had been lagging in their duty to register migrant workers, a critical step in facilitating their access to essential supplies. The bench, comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, labeled the delays as unfortunate and indicative of a broader systemic failure.
The court highlighted that the registration process, crucial for the distribution of ration cards, had not been completed even after four months in some states, which was deemed unacceptable. “Why has the registration process not been completed in four months? This is unacceptable. You have been engaged in this process for four months and now audaciously claim you need two more months. We direct that the process be completed within the next four weeks,” the bench stated emphatically.
Justice Dhulia and Justice Amanullah noted that only Bihar and Telangana have completed 100% registration of migrant workers so far, setting a benchmark for other states.
During the proceedings, advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, argued that while some states had completed the registration process, others had not even started. This discrepancy, according to Bhushan, undermines the efforts to ensure basic rights and supplies to migrant workers, a particularly vulnerable segment of the workforce during crises.
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The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing on this matter for August 27, where it expects to review progress made by the states in complying with its orders. The court also warned that if the states fail to meet the new deadline, secretaries responsible would be summoned to explain the delay.
