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Govt should allow Covid-19 negative migrants to go home: PIL in Supreme Court
Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers are stuck in several states after the countrywide lockdown was announced on March 24 to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to allow migrant labourers, who test negative for the coronavirus disease, to go back to their homes amid the extended lockdown, news agency ANI reported on Saturday.
According to ANI, the private litigation, one of many such pleas, said the government should allow for “their safe travel to their hometowns and villages and provide necessary transportation” from cities to their homes.
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Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers are stuck in several states after the countrywide lockdown was announced on March 24 to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
They have borne the brunt after the 21-day lockdown was subsequently extended up to May 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were left without money to buy food or pay rent.
The PIL was filed by lawyer Prashant Bhushan on behalf of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), former professor and founder trustee Jagdeep S Chhokar and advocate Gaurav Jain.
The petition said the migrant workers, who are amongst the worst affected due to the ongoing lockdown, must be allowed to go back to their homes after being tested for Covid-19.
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“Those who test negative for COVID-19 must not be forcefully kept in shelters or away from their homes and families against their wishes. That the government should allow for their safe travel to their hometowns and villages and provide necessary transportation for the same,” the petition said.
The plea said a large number of migrant workers wish to go back to their native villages to live with their families and it was evident from the sudden rush in the wake of the initial 21-days national lockdown that led to chaos at various bus terminals.
It pointed out that it led to tragic deaths of many such migrant workers who were left with no option but to travel hundreds of kilometres to their home on foot.
Also read: Woes mount, migrants stare at long road to normalcy
“Recently, there have been media reports which show that migrant workers are protesting on streets in some places due to non-payment of their wages and demanding to return to their native villages,” the plea said.
It also said these reports show that migrant workers are being harassed by the local residents and even beaten in some cases.
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The fundamental rights of migrant workers cannot be suspended for an indefinite period forcing them to stay away from their families and living in unpredictable and arduous conditions, the plea added.
(With agency inputs)
