The Union government told the Supreme Court on Monday that Delhi government's lackadaisical implementation of the one nation-one ration card scheme had deprived a huge population of migrant workers of their rightful foodgrain under the National Food Security Act in contrast to most states that had implemented the scheme to deliver free ration to the poor. In its affidavit, the Centre said the Kejriwal government's claim regarding launch of one nation-one ration card plan in the National Capital Territory of Delhi government had suspended biometric authentication at fair price shops in 2018 citing technical glitches and started it on a pilot basis in Seemapuri in April. The Centre said though 2,000 machines were supplied to Delhi government for use in all circles, the AAP government was not able to implement the one nation-one ration card scheme that would have ensured free dry ration to migrant workers, from any state under the NFSA. The scheme is intended to allow individuals and families to draw ration in states other than where they are registered under the PDS. 'Only a handful of transactions conducted in a single circle with about machines cannot be considered implementation of one nation-one ration card scheme. Further, unless national portability transactions are rolled out formally in all FPSs of circles of NCT Delhi, in which more than 2,000 Pos Machines have been supplied and are waiting for operation, it cannot be considered implementation of one nation-one ration card scheme the Centre said. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah had taken serious note of non implementation of the scheme by states and had ordered the four delinquents West Bengal, Delhi, Assam and Chhattisgarh that there could be no exception.
