The Congress leader from Haryana Randeep S Surjewala on Wednesday filed an intervention plea in the migrant workers issue on which the Supreme Court yesterday took Suo Motu cognizance of the plight of migrant workers during corona virus induced lockdown and issued notice to Centre, States & UTs.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court three-judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice Sanjay Kishan kaul and Justice MR Shah has taken Suo Motu cognizance of problems and miseries of migrant labourers who had been stranded in different parts of the country after the nation-wide lockdown and issued notice to the Centre, States and UTs, and sought reply on all measures and steps taken by the Government of India and the steps which are to be taken in respect of addressing the problems and miseries of migrant labourers.
Mr. Surjewala mentioned in the application that in view of the fact that, at present there is no nation-wide action plan qua the stranded migrant labourers, to identity and accurately tally the total number of migrant labourers who continue to be stranded, the Government of India needs to carry out an exercise at the District and Village level to prepare these lists immediately.
He added further that in view of the fact that stranded migrant labourers have sporadic access to food, medicine and shelter, and are presently dependent on largesse of private individuals for the same, the Government of India should immediately formulate a scheme to provide adequate food, medicine and shelter to the stranded migrant labourers.
The following paras were mentioned in the Intervene Application: –
“In view of the fact that certain financial reliefs qua the migrant labourers have already been announced by theGovernment of India, therefore the said reliefs should be implemented on an urgent and immediate basis and a public announcement detailing the reliefs with time lines and step-wise procedure of release should be shared withthe public and migrants.
In view of the fact that the stranded migrants have been uprooted from places of gainful employment, the Government of India should formulate urgent and immediate schemes for providing gainful employment to the migrant labourers, with additional and specific schemes, which take into consideration the education ofthe migrant labourers’ children and the general well-being of their family members.
In view of the fact that the migrants are presently stranded without proper means to approach the Government authorities, the Government of India should immediately launch awareness campaigns for migrant workers to explain all benefits (through radio and other communication modes) being provided by the Government to alleviate their plight and struggles during the nation-wide lockdown.”
Read the application here;
Final-Intervention-SF-India Legal Bureau