'No citizen should die of hunger,' says SC in migrant workers matter

The Supreme Court on Thursday while hearing a matter relating to migrant labourers remarked that no citizen should die of hunger and said that it was most concerning that there were deaths due to hunger.

When the court was apprised that a large number of migrant workers are without ration cards, the bench of justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna said, "no citizen should die of hunger and it is most concerning that there were deaths due to hunger."

The bench observed that migrants and other workers are the backbone of the country and they must be provided rations at subsidized rates.

The court further observed that in villages and in marginalised communities people tie a tight cloth around their stomachs to suppress their hunger pangs.

It was pointed out by the petitioners that the central government had failed to undertake any exercise to re-determine coverage under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and as a result, more than 10 crore people who should have been issued ration cards were left out of the purview of the food security net.

Counsels Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl D'Souza represented the petitioners in the matter. Anjali Bhardwaj, Harsh Mander and Jagdeep Chhokar are petitioners who have moved miscellaneous applications in the suo motu petition initiated by the court itself.

( With inputs from ANI )