The Supreme Court has asked the Center to file a status report tomorrow as to what are the steps being taken by the Government regarding the mass exodus of the migrant workers in various parts of the country due to the growing pandemic coronavirus.
The action was taken by the bench headed by the Chief Justice on a PIL filed by Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, seeking to direct District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police across the country to identify migrant workers and shift them to nearest government facilities so that their basic needs are met.
The apex court said that the fear and panic generated because of this pandemic is worse than the virus itself.
The petition highlighted the situation of the migrant workers who have had to embark on a foot journey towards their native villages due to the nation-wide lock down. The petition stated, “The biggest sufferers of the crisis are the poor, unregistered migrant workers, working in various big cities of India”. The petition also raised concern about the native villagers not accepting these migrant workers because of the fear of the Coronavirus treating them as virus carriers.
The matter has been adjourned for tomorrow.
-India Legal Bureau