Migrants’ misery

A day after the Centre announced that it would spend Rs 93,869 crore this year to provide 5 kg of foodgrains per month to over 80 crore people till November under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the Supreme Court termed as ‘unpardonable’ the Union Government’s ‘apathy and lackadaisical attitude’ towards creating the National Database for Unorganised Workers (NDUW). The court has ordered that the database should be made operational by July 31 so that all migrant workers are registered this year. The same deadline has been fixed for the laggard states to implement the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme.

It’s inexcusable that the benefits of welfare schemes continue to elude migrant workers even more than a year after the Covid-induced nationwide lockdown devastated their lives and livelihoods. Just when they were trying to pick up the pieces, the second wave dashed the hopes of many of them of regaining employment. A study by Pew Research Centre has shown that about 7.5 crore people have slipped into poverty since the outbreak of the pandemic — and this is just a conservative estimate. According to a survey conducted by the National Statistics Office in 2017-18, migrant workers account for more than one-fourth of India’s population. Since they work in the unorganised sector, the NDUW is vital for their accurate headcount that can further help in finalising the quantum of relief packages. The inordinate delay in establishing the database has left these workers to fend for themselves.

The ONORC, which offers countrywide portability of the ration card for poor migrant workers and their families, has also not been fully implemented by some states. In the absence of food security, the intended beneficiaries are finding it tough to cope with repeated disruptions caused by lockdowns. No wonder many of them prefer to return to their home states as they have no access to free ration in the state where they work. The Centre and the states have allowed things to drift for too long. They need to get their act together, with or without court intervention.