MyVoice: Views of our readers 18th May 2020

Lessons we need to learn from corona

This virus season would certainly teach many lessons to the government as well as the people. It would teach them about the significance health and hygiene.

The government must remember that India is the youngest nation with large workforce. So, instead of spending lots of money on free packages it is better to spend it on education and pay to the hard work of the people.

These people are misusing the facilities provided by government like selling their free ration at high rates. Instead of that, the government can increase MSP of farmers and help them rise their income.

If each and every person in India works hard, we could make our nation a developed one.

K Sai Manideep, Shabad, RR dist, Telangana

Why no takers for migrant labourers?

It is disheartening to know that, at least 24 migrant workers were killed and 37 injured in an accident that took place in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district around 2.30 am on Saturday.

Auraiya Additional Superintendent of Police Kamlesh Kumar Dixit said that police teams reached the spot after getting information about the accident and were involved in the rescue operation.

Giving details of the accident, Dixit said the accident happened between 2 am and 3 am on Saturday under the Kotwali police station at a place called Mihauli.

The trolley truck was coming from Rajasthan and was loaded with white putti. It had people who were headed to Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

The truck was stationed at Mihauli at a dhaba where people were getting tea. A DCM truck which was coming from Delhi carrying around 20 migrant workers hit the trolley after the driver possibly fell asleep on the wheel.

Both vehicles overturned. The police reached the spot as soon as they got information. Why migrants are helpless? Why they are being forced to return their houses by truck?

Mohd Wajih Mazahiree, Hyderabad

'One nation, one ration card' key in migrants' welfare

Covid-19 pandemic has created a dilemma of 'lives Vs livelihood' for governments as well as citizens. But in the absence of basic income and food security, this dilemma may hurt migrant workers the most and will lead to a migrant crisis.

This migrant crisis will question the development paradigm, as these workers are the wheel of the urban economy in India. Moreover, according to the 2011 census, there are 45 crore internal migrants who accounted for 37 percent of the population.

In this context, a nationwide 'One Nation One Ration Card' scheme (ONORC) must become a reality now. This scheme will be instrumental in the welfare of migrant workers and play a vital role in averting migrant crisis as it existed today.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced the national rollout of a 'One Nation, One Ration Card' system in all States and Union Territories by March 2021.

According to the Finance Minister, this system will enable migrant workers and their family members to access PDS benefits from any Fair Price Shop in the country.

In the present system, a ration cardholder can buy food grains only from an FPS that has been assigned to her in the locality in which she lives.

However, this will change once the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' system becomes operational nationally. This is how it will work. Suppose a beneficiary lives in the district of Basti in Uttar Pradesh and migrates to Mumbai for work.

Currently, she is no longer able to purchase subsidised food grains from a PDS shop in her new locality in Mumbai.

However, under the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' system, the beneficiary will be able to buy subsidised food grains from any FPS across the country.

Gautam S R, Bhopal, M P