The Uttarakhand High Court issued notice on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed highlighting the closing of the portal/ website for renewal of labour identity cards issued by the Uttarakhand Government to villagers/ labourers in the State, particularly in relation to Village Kaunta, Patrani, Block-Okhalkanda, District Nainital and villagers of Okhalkanda Block, District Nainital, who are about 800-1000 in number.
The Petitioner alleged that due to the said portal/ website not working, the said villagers are not able to avail of the benefits of the welfare schemes framed by the Government.
“Though the petitioner has confined the relief in relation to the villagers/ labourers belonging to the aforesaid villages, the labourers/ villagers all across the State are affected due to the website/ portal of the Government not working, and the labourers are not being able to renew their identity cards”, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal noted.
The Bench directed the State to forthwith take steps to open the said portal/ website.
“Counter affidavit shall be filed by the State, explaining the reasons why the portal/ website was not being operational since 2019. The persons responsible for the said lapse should be identified, and their identity be disclosed in the counter affidavit. The same be filed within four weeks’, the Court directed while posting the matter on 27.09.2023 for further hearing.