Supreme Court on Tuesday termed as unpardonable the Centre’s apathy and lackadaisical attitude towards creating National Database for Unorganised Workers (NDUW) and ordered its commencement by July 31 so that all migrant workers are registered this year and welfare measures extended to them during COVID distress.
The top court issued a slew of directions to authorities on a plea of three activists seeking welfare measures for migrant workers and ordered states and Union Territories (UTs) to frame schemes for providing free dry ration to them till the pandemic lasts, while the Centre will have to allocate additional foodgrains.
For registration of the migrant workers, the top court has told the central government to put in place a portal by July 31. A two-judge bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and MR Shah said, “The central government must develop and put in place a portal for registering unorganised and migrant workers, and start the process, not later than July 31.”
The state governments and the UT administrations shall bring a scheme to provide dry ration to migrant workers by July 31 and such a scheme will remain till COVID situation continues, the top court said. The bench directed states and UTs to register all establishments and contractors under the Inter-state Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service Act) 1979.
Referring to the resurgence of Covid-19 infections and consequent curbs, the activists have said in their plea that the problems faced by migrant workers during the lockdown in 2020 have persisted over the past year due to the continued economic distress, and have now got aggravated on account of fresh restrictions, curfews and lockdowns being imposed in many states to control the spread of Covid.
