PIL in Bombay High Court to implement One Nation One Ration Card scheme

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court calling for the immediate implementation of the "One Nation One Ration Card" (ONORC) scheme under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

The scheme allows portability of ration cards across India and is intended to ensure that millions of migrant laborers can access essential food supplies across State lines.

During a preliminary hearing of the PIL on October 11, a Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Amit Borkar suggested that the petitioner may need to approach the Supreme Court under a contempt petition as the petition essentially sought implementation of the apex court's earlier orders on this issue in a suo motu proceeding.

"Are we the executing court? Why don't you file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court?" the High Court asked.

The hearing was adjourned to October 23 to allow the petitioner’s counsel to consult further with their client.

The NFSA, enacted in 2013, seeks to provide food and nutrition security to approximately two-thirds of India's population, covering 75 per cent of the rural and 50 per cent of the urban populace.

The ONORC scheme proposed under the Act is designed to facilitate the portability of ration cards, allowing beneficiaries to access subsidized food from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country, thereby addressing the needs of a mobile workforce.

The PIL before the Bombay High Court, filed by the Movement for Peace and Justice for Welfare (MPJ) through advocate Hamza Lakdawala, has sought three key forms of relief.

First, it has sought immediate compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives from June 29, 2021, June 21, 2022, and May 20, 2023, which mandate the implementation of the ONORC scheme.

Second, the petition has argued for a recalibration of the coverage under the NFSA for Maharashtra. The current coverage, based on the 2011 census, is outdated, MPJ (petitioner) contends. The MPJ has submitted that the State's population has significantly increased due to natural growth and migration. The petition calls for an update to the coverage of 7 crore citizens to more accurately reflect current demographics.

Third, the petition highlights the need to revise the maximum annual family income limits set by the Maharashtra Food Security Rules, 2019. Presently, these thresholds are capped at ₹44,000 for rural households and ₹59,000 for urban households.

The petition argues that these figures are unreasonably low, especially when compared to actual living wages.

For instance, an unskilled laborer in Maharashtra, earning a minimum wage of ₹16,159 per month, would have an annual income of ₹1,93,908—well above the current limits. This discrepancy means that many individuals in need of food security are unjustly excluded.

Furthermore, the PIL points out significant inconsistencies among various government welfare schemes in Maharashtra. For example, a person earning an annual family income of ₹8 lakh qualifies for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota but does not meet the criteria for food security benefits under the NFSA. This contradiction exposes the need for a unified and fair approach to welfare provisions, the plea says.

The petition also raises concerns about food price inflation in India, which has averaged approximately 5.62 per cent over the past decade.

Meanwhile, the average annual wage increase in urban areas has been about 6.36 per cent. Despite these rising costs, the income limits for the "priority household" category under the NFSA have remained stagnant.

As a result, each year, fewer people qualify for food security benefits, further exacerbating the plight of vulnerable communities, the plea states.