The Supreme Court took a serious view of delays noticed in the grant of ration cards to eligible migrant workers [In Re Problems and Miseries of Migrant Workers].

A Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah gave a final opportunity to the Central government as well as the governments of States and Union Territories (UTs) to take necessary steps by November 19.

The Court warned that it may summon the secretaries of defaulting States for contempt of court if the needful is not done.

"We have lost our patience, we are making it very clear that there will be no more indulgence," Justice Amanullah remarked.

The Bench was hearing a suo motu case concerning the welfare of migrant workers, which was initiated during the COVID lockdown of 2020.

Intervenors in this case argued today that the Union government has failed to comply with the directions issued by the Court in a June 2021 judgment.

In that ruling, the top court had called for the issue of ration cards to migrant workers as they were eligible for the same under the National Food Security Act.

The Court had asked the Union to grant ration cards to migrant workers registered on the e-Shram portal (a centralised database of unorganized workers).

"We had made it clear that those remaining 8 crore ration cards based on those registered on e-Shram portal have to be issued. Is it done? Then we can proceed further," the Bench remarked today.

"States will have to respond and comply. It is a dynamic process," replied Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, who represented the Central government.

The Union government also explained that under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (a scheme for the distribution of rations for the poorest of the poor sections of society), only one ration card is issued per priority household.

It added that the non-issue of cards to other members of the same family cannot amount to contempt of the Court's directions. The Bench orally noted that this argument, prima facie, has some basis.

However, Justice Amanullah minced no words in warning the government authorities that ration cards yet to be issued to migrant workers found eligible for the same must be issued immediately.

"Is this the seriousness of the Union? This is about the poorest of the poor. If there is leakage accruing why cannot the Cabinet Secretary hold meetings? Because it is not important to them?" he remarked.

The matter will be heard next on November 19.

The Bench earlier had taken exception to the failure to comply with a March 19 order to provide ration cards to nearly 8 crore migrant workers.

In the said order, the Court had ordered States and Union Territories to complete the said exercise within two months, after it noted that its year-old order to provide ration cards to migrant workers was yet to be implemented.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan with social activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri appeared for intervenors in the case today.