The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday has issued an order thereby allowing movement of stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons. Ministry has stated that buses will be used to transport stranded asymptomatic persons by inserting a clause in the revised guidelines issued earlier while the rest of the people will be kept in quarantine as required.
In continuation of earlier orders by MHA and in exercise of powers conferred under Section 10(2) (1) of Disaster Management Act, Ministry has ordered to include the following in consolidated revised guidelines for strict implementation by Ministries/Departments of Government of India,State/Union Territory Governments and State/Union Territory Authorities.
Sub-clause (iv) under Clause 17 on Movement of persons:
iv. Due to lockdown, migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons are stranded at different places. They would be allowed to move as under:-
- All States/UTs should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending such stranded persons. The nodal authorities shall also register the stranded persons within their States/UT’s.
- In case a group of stranded persons wish to move between one State/UT and another State/UT, the sending and receiving States may consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road.
- The moving person(s) would be screened and those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed.
- Buses shall be used for transport of groups of persons. The buses will be sanitized and shall follow safe social distancing norms in seating.
- The States/UTs falling on the transit route will allow the passage of such persons to the receiving State/UT.
- On arrival at their destination, such person(s) would be assessed by the local health authorities, and kept in home quarantine, unless the assessment requires keeping the person(s) in institutional quarantine. They would be kept under watch with periodic health check-ups. For this purpose, such persons maybe encouraged to use Aarogya Setu App through which their health status can be monitored and tracked.
- The guidelines of Ministry of Health and family Welfare relating to home quarantine can also be referred to.
This step of the Central Government is seen by many as a welcoming step for migrant workers who are stranded in different parts of the country who now will be able to go their native homes and also to those who have moved on foot to their native villages and are held up by the local authorities.
Though, the challenge remains for the Government to prevent the spread of corona virus and also to prevent the migrant workers from becoming the carrier of the deadly virus to native places.
-India Legal Bureau