Ensure ration, transport for migrants: SC
NEW DELHI: Impelling the governments to acknowledge the “harsh realities” of the migrant workers affected due to the second Covid-19 wave, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre and state governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to provide dry ration and meals to the labourers in the national capital region (NCR), apart from ensuring proper transportation to their native places.
The bench of justices Ashok Bhushan and MR Shah issued the interim directives while seeking detailed replies from the state governments on steps being taken to ameliorate miseries of the stranded migrant workers.
Starting immediately, the bench ordered that dry ration should be given to migrant workers in the NCR under Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme, or any other scheme be provided by the Centre or states utilising the public distribution system.
“While providing dry ration, the authorities of the states shall not insist on an identity card for those migrant labourers who do not possess it for the time being. On self-declaration made by the stranded migrant labourers, dry ration be given to them,” it said.
In order to make certain that the migrant workers and their families get at least two meals a day, the court further directed the governments of Delhi, UP and Haryana to open community kitchens at well-advertised places in the districts in NCR.
The bench asked the states to ensure that adequate transport is provided to stranded migrant labourers in the NCR who wanted to return to their home.
“The district administration, in coordination with police, may identify such stranded migrant labourers and facilitate their transport either by road transport or train. The
Union of India may also issue necessary instructions to the Ministry of Railways to take necessary and adequate measures to cater the need of migrant labourers,” it further directed.
The court order came on a plea moved jointly by activists Harsh Mander, Anjali Bhardwaj and Jagdeep Chhokar, who sought the court’s intervention to ensure that migrant workers were not deprived of ration and food security and were also able to travel back to their homes at nominal cost.
Solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre,