Ensure Food, Shelter, Free Journey Home For Migrant Workers: SC

Top court’s reality check to govt on mechanism to deal with crisis: hard reality is that it’s not there

- Abhinay Lakshman

NEW DELHI: In a scathing indictment of the Centre’s inadequate mechanism to deal with the unending migrant workers crisis, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday said: “Hard reality is that it’s (a mechanism to deal with the migrant crisis) not there.” As a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah presided over the suo motu case of the plight of stranded migrant workers, the top court also issued a slew of interim directions to protect the rights of migrant workers. The SC directed:

No fare should be charged from migrant workers, either travelling by train or bus and that rail costs must be borne by the states.

Migrant workers must be given food by the concerned state/ UT at places that should be publicised and notified for the time they will be waiting to board their bus or train.

The migrant workers who are currently walking on roads must be immediately taken to shelters and be given food and all other facilities.

The originating state must provide food to migrant workers before the train journey and thereon the railways must provide food and water to migrant workers during their journey. Food and water must also be provided for bus journeys.

States shall oversee the registration process of migrant workers and must ensure that they are on their way to their home destination as soon as possible.