MAHENDRA KUMAR PARIDA Vs. STATE OF ODISHA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition by way of Public Interest Litigation has been filed by Mahendra Kumar Parida-petitioner questioning the decision of the Government of Odisha to consider Aadhar Card as the only proof of identification of the migrant workers and other people in the COVID-19 Odisha State Portal and offline forms available at Gram Panchayats or Urban Local Bodies for the purpose of registration.

(2.) Prayer has been made to direct the respondent-State to accept other ID proofs, such as Voter ID, Ration Card, MGNREGS ID Card etc. and in absence of any of them, the identification by the Sarpanch of Gram Panchyayat concerned attesting the identity of such migrant labourers, as valid proof for registration as an alternate to Aadhaar Card for registration in COVID-19 Odisha State Portal.

(3.) Mr. Ishwar Mohanty, learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that the respondent-State at the initiative of Union of India during the continuation of Lock-down 3 in the light of pandemic COVID-19 has taken a laudable decision to bring back several lakhs of Odia migrant labourers from other parts of the country to the State. It has for this purpose made an online portal-named COVID-19 Odisha State Portal (for short "the State Portal"), for registration of such returnees into the State. Simultaneously, forms have been made available at the Gram Panchayat Offices from where the relatives of such migrant labourers can procure and register them at the Panchayat Offices. Registration by either of the modes mandatorily requires Aadhaar Card with its number of the person willing to register as the only proof of identification. Those who are unable to submit the Aadhaar number would not be registered on the portal, thus depriving him/her from entering the State.