Delhi's claim on One Nation One Ration Card 'misleading', no full implementation, Centre tells SC

The Centre said it was misleading because the scheme was initiated merely in one circle in Seemapuri

The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that the Delhi government's claims of the launching of 'one nation one ration card' (ONORC) in the national capital were misleading, as the scheme was initiated merely in one circle in Seemapuri.

“The claim of Delhi government regarding launch of One Nation One Ration Card plan in NCT of Delhi is misleading, as they claim to have implemented it only in circle 63 Seemapuri. Only a handful of transactions conducted in a single circle with about 42 ePoS machines cannot be considered as the implementation of ONORC,” it said.

In its written submission in a suo moto case over miseries of migrant workers, the Union government pointed out that despite several Covid-related challenges, a total of 32 states/UTs covering around 69 crore National Food Security Act beneficiaries, i.e. 86 per cent of NFSA population in the country were swiftly brought under the ONORC plan by December 2020.

Read | 'One Nation One Ration Card' empowers migrant workers: Centre to SC

Last week, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, had submitted before a bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah that Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and West Bengal, were yet to implement ONORC. The Delhi government counsel had then submitted it has implemented the scheme. The top court had later observed that all states must implement the (ONORC) scheme.

With regard to the Delhi government's claim, the Centre, in a fresh submission, said a very large number of inter-state migrants are present here. Numerous street dwellers, rag-pickers, migratory labourers, construction workers, rickshaw pullers, auto/taxidrivers, etc do not have access to their National Food Security Act (NFSA) food grains. In the absence of full implementation of ONORC, the Centre said migrant workers will not able to take the benefit of their quota in Delhi.

“Further, unless the national portability transactions are rolled out formally in all the FPSs (fair price shops) of all circles of NCT Delhi, in which more than 2000 ePoS machines have been supplied and waiting for operation, it cannot be considered as an implementation of ONORC," the Centre said.

The Delhi government has claimed that the Centre has stopped its ambitious doorstep delivery of ration scheme, which was set to be launched soon.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said the ration delivery to homes sounds like a novel idea, but there are loopholes and possibilities for corruption. He had questioned the Delhi government why it has not implemented the scheme yet. It ensures economically weaker sections get subsidised food grains and guards against corruption by linking distribution to Aadhaar card's biometrics, the minister claimed.