New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the central government and the state government to collaborate and complete the process of creating the National Database for unorganised workers under the Ministry of Labour and Employment at the earliest and file an affidavit regarding it in two weeks.
The bench comprising of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice MR Shah passed the orders on a suo moto case on problems and miseries of migrants during the lockdown.
“The process of registration is very slow. We are not happy with the efforts undertaken by the Centre and states on registration of unorganised workers,” the bench said.
The court had made certain suggestions during the hearing today in the morning and uploaded those suggestions as the order in the evening.
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In respect of food, the court has asked the centre/states to provide dry ration to the stranded workers under the Atma Nirbhar Scheme or any other scheme found suitable by the governments.
For community kitchens, the court ordered that "it is the responsibility of the states/Union territories to provide community kitchen to the stranded migrant workers, who have lost their employment and are in need of two meals a day, we direct all the states/Union Territories to make operational the community kitchen to the stranded migrant workers wherever they may situate in the country".
It has to be widely publicised by the government so that migrants are aware of it.
Appellants had also sought cash transfers in the account which some states are doing like Delhi but the court said that as it is a policy matter, it can not give orders to states on this.
The matter will be heard on June 11 again.
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