How long can freebies be doled out, why not create jobs, asks SC

“For how long can freebies be given?” the Supreme Court asked on Monday while stressing the need for creating job opportunities and capacity building for migrant workers being given free ration since the Covid pandemic.

A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Manmohan was surprised when the Centre informed the court that 81 crore people were being given free or subsidised ration under the National Food Security Act. “It means only the tax-payers are left out,” the Bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for an NGO in the suo motu case on problems and miseries of migrant labourers initiated during the Covid pandemic in 2020 to provide immediate relief to them, said directions needed to be issued for providing free ration to all migrant workers registered with the “e-shram” portal.

Bhushan said directions had been issued by this court from time to time to all states and UTs to issue ration cards to migrant workers so that they could avail free ration provided by the Centre. He said the latest order says even those who did not have ration cards but were registered under the “e-shram” portal were to be given free ration by the Centre.

“This is the problem. The moment we direct states to provide free ration to all migrants, not a single one will be seen here. They will run away. To appease people, states may issue ration cards because they know the liability is on the Centre,” Justice Kant said.