For how long freebies can 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 are being given free or subsidised ration under the National Food Security Act of 2013.

“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 need to be issued for providing free ration to all migrant workers registered with the “e-Shram” portal.

The bench said, “For how long freebies can be given? Why don’t we work to create job opportunities, employment and capacity building for these migrant workers?” Prashant Bhushan said directions have been issued by this court from time to time to all states and Union territories to issue ration cards to migrant workers so that they can avail free ration provided by the Centre.