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Send back stranded workers at Azadpur mandi to home states: Delhi HC
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi government to work with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to make arrangements for sending
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Delhi government to work with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to make arrangements for sending 686 migrant labourers, stranded at Azadpur Mandi here since the Covid-19 lockdown, to their native places.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad asked the Delhi government to ensure the workers are informed in advance about the mode of transport arranged for them as also the date and time of departure.
The court was hearing a plea by the Potato and Onion Merchant Association, through its president, seeking directions to ensure that about 1,000 labourers stranded at the market are provided two meals a day, until the situation normalises.
The plea, filed through advocates Sumit Rana and Amit Jain, said the stranded workers be relocated to a makeshift shelter home within or around the Azadpur Mandi.
On Tuesday, the Delhi government additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal submitted a survey of workers at the Azadpur market, indicating that 686 wanted to return to their native places.
Following this, the court said a travel schedule needs to be prepared and communicated to the workers so that all of them do not land up together at the inter-state bus terminals or railway stations. It directed the Delhi government to work in collaboration with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority for this purpose.
The courg directed the Delhi government to set up a help desk in the evenings, after 6.00 pm, at the Azadpur Mandi so that shelter and ready meals can be offered to those returning there late in the evening and usually spend the nights in the open.
It asked the counsel for the government to file an affidavit indicating compliance of its directions and listed the matter for further hearing on June 24.
On the last date, the court had directed the government to find out the exact number of workers stranded at the Mandi. The Delhi government carried out a survey and filed a report, stating that 882 labourers were registered at their help desk set up at the marketplace.
The report stated that out of the 882 workers, 849 gave their permanent residential address as outside Delhi and remaining did not disclose it.
The survey also found that around 143 labourers were staying within the marketplace, either in sheds or shops of local traders and the rest in nearby rented accommodation.
The report stated that 436 labourers brought food from home and the remaining 446 were getting ready meals from a nearby hunger relief centre.
