New Delhi, May 29 (DN&V): at least 64 days after the central government imposed, with just four hours notice, a nationwide lockdown for the first time and after thrice extending it, albeit with more relaxations each time, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued interim directives to ensure proper repatriation of India’s internal migrants. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah said:
No fare either by train or bus will be charged from migrant workers. Railways to share fare.
All migrants who are stranded shall be provided food by the concerned state at places publicized and notified to them, so that they can make both ends meet. While they wait for their turn to board trains or buses, they can survive this way.
Originating state should provide food and water and thereafter, food to be provided by Railways. Receiving state shall give transport, food and meals from stations to their villages.
States shall speed up registration of migrant workers and build help desks near places where they are stranded. Complete information needs to be publicized so that migrants are aware of this.
Whenever a migrant is found walking on the road they will be taken to the camps at the earliest and provided with facilities.
Justice Bhushan also observed that “there needs to be a time in place which the migrant worker has to wait within which he will be transported and also be provided food and facilities in the interim,” reports the Bar and Bench. The court then called for a “uniform policy” on the matter to avoid confusion between the states, centre and the railways. The matter will be taken up next on June 5.
“But… it is a sad situation that some lawyers and retired judges are trying to run down the institution,” the bench observed. The SC took suo moto cognisance of the migrant crisis after several retired judges and senior advocates wrote to Chief Justice SA Bobde criticising the court for its “deference” to the executive even “in the face of an unfolding human disaster”. On Thursday, in the audience were Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram and Indira Jaising, who were among the signatories of the letter.
