Question : Implementation of ONORC

(a) whether Supreme Court of India recently set a deadline for States to implement the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) system and for the Union Government to create a national database of unorganised workers;

(b) if so, the reason for delay in implementation of this important scheme in many States;

(c) the steps taken to ensure its implementation before or by deadline fixed by Apex Court; and

(d) the time by when a national web portal to register migrant and unorganised workers would be set up as directed by Apex Court?

A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a): Yes sir. vide the judgement dated 29-06-2021 in connection with Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No. 6 of 2020 titled ‘Problems and Miseries of Migrant Labourers’, the States which have not implemented the One Nation One Ration Card have been directed to implement the same by not later than 31-07-2021 and also to develop/implement the Portal for registration under National Data Base for Unorganised Workers (NDUW Project) by not later than 31.07.2021

.........2/-



-2-

(b): So far, the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan is already enabled in 33 States/UTs. However, it’s enablement is awaited in only 3 States of Assam, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal depending upon their technical readiness to implement the portability of ration cards.

(c): Department had continuously pursued with the concerned States/UT which have not implemented the ONORC plan. So far, the NCT of Delhi has enabled the same in July 2021, while it is awaited in the three other States.

(d): The concerned Ministry of Labour & Employment in technical collaboration with National Informatics Centre (NIC) has started the work of developing a registration module for creating a comprehensive National Database for Unorganized Workers (NDUW) seeded with Aadhaar for all Unorganised workers including Construction Workers, Migrant Workers, Gig and Platform workers, Street Vendors, Domestic Workers, Agriculture Workers and similar other sub-groups of Unorganised workers. At present, the process for dry run and security audit has commenced and the project is expected to commence the registration work by August, 2021.
*****