How the government is failing its migrant workers and their families

Outreach and accessibility of schemes, and estimations of the migrant population remain a significant hurdle for benefits flowing to the migrant population

Last month, the Supreme Court directed all state governments to implement the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' (ONORC) scheme. Even though 32 of the 36 states/UTs had implemented the scheme, the uptake was limited; only 165,000 beneficiaries availed of the service. In its verdict directing all states to implement the scheme by July 31, the SC said that ONORC was an “important citizen-centric reform” and that its implementation will ensure availability of ration to “beneficiaries under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes, especially to the migrant workers and their families at any Fair Price Shop across the