Migrants don’t have to pay to go home, ensure they get food on the way: SC

The bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and M R Shah, which took suo motu cognizance of the issue on Tuesday, saying it had also received several letters and representations from different sections of society, and directed that states share the bus or train fare of the stranded migrants returning home.

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Questioning the Centre and states on the plight of stranded migrant workers, the Supreme Court Thursday directed that no fare be charged from them for their journey home, and that arrangements be made to provide them with food.

The bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and M R Shah, which took suo motu cognizance of the issue on Tuesday, saying it had also received several letters and representations from different sections of society, and directed that states share the bus or train fare of the stranded migrants returning home.

An earlier bench had declined to entertain a PIL highlighting problems of stranded migrants.

Granting more time to the Centre and states to submit detailed responses, the bench ordered that the stranded migrant workers be provided food by the states concerned at places to be publicised and notified for the period they have to wait for their turn to start the journey.

While the state from where they set out shall provide meal and water at the bus station, the Railways should provide it during the journey, it said.

During the hearing, Justice Kaul asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta: “What is the estimated time required to shift migrants? What arrangements are being made? What is the mechanism in place? Do they know if they will be shifted on fifth day, seventh day or tenth day?… What’s being done to ensure they are given information?”

Mehta said since the states are the boarding points, they would be able to explain this better.

“But what is the normal time? If a migrant is identified, there must be some certainty that he will be shifted out within one week or ten days at most? What is that time?” the bench asked.

In its order later, the bench directed states to “simplify and speed up the process of registration of migrant workers and also provide help desk for registration at the places where they are stranded”.

It said states must “try to endeavour that after registration, the workers should be asked to board the train or bus at the earliest and complete information should be publicized to all concerned regarding mode of transport”.

“We further direct that those migrant workers who are found walking on the highways or roads shall be immediately taken care by the concerned State/Union Territories and they shall be provided transport to the destination and all facilities including food and water be provided to those found walking on the road,” the bench said.

On earlier occasions, the court had refused to intervene in the matter of migrant workers who had begun walking home. On March 31, the Solicitor General had told the court that as of 11 am that day, no migrant labourer was walking on foot to reach home.