Supreme Court Urges Focus on Jobs Over Free Food for Migrant Workers

On Monday, the Supreme Court asked how long the government can continue giving free food to people. The judges were surprised to learn that 81 crore people are receiving free or cheap food from the National Food Security Act. They noted that only tax-payers are left out of this support. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who is representing an NGO in a case about the struggles of migrant workers during the Covid pandemic, suggested that all migrant workers registered on the e-Shram portal should be given free food too.

The judges inquired, “How long will we keep giving handouts? Why not focus on creating jobs and helping these workers build their skills?” Bhushan mentioned that the court has previously told states to issue food cards to help migrant workers get their share of free food. He added that even those without food cards but registered on the e-Shram portal should receive free food. The judges expressed concern that if states are told to give out more food cards, many workers might leave instead of staying in their jobs.

They also recognized that accurate data on the number of migrant workers is crucial, but the government is still relying on data from the 2011 Census. Looking forward, Justice Surya Kant said there should not be a divide between the Centre and states when it comes to helping these workers.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the government’s actions, saying that the court’s previous orders were specific to the pandemic and that they have to follow the National Food Security Act. The court has recently pointed out the issues with giving free food, saying the situation during Covid was different. Back in June 2021, the Supreme Court had given clear instructions to the authorities to help migrant workers and create a database to track them for welfare benefits.

On September 2, the court asked the Centre to provide updates on their efforts to give food cards and other support to migrant workers. The government claimed they were helping everyone who qualifies under the National Food Security Act. The Supreme Court criticized the government for not quickly setting up a national database for unorganised workers, emphasizing the need for timely assistance to migrant workers throughout the pandemic.