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Today the Supreme Court released a comprehensive interim order on the transport of migrant workers, which has become the most controversial issue after the Center started operating special trains on May 1. A number of cases of hungry and desperate migrants looting food carts at various railway stations have been reported over the last few days.
Several migrants' workers have died in the piping hot heat after being on the trains without food and water. A terribly sad video of a child trying to wake up his dead mother had gone viral yesterday. The court, which had asked the Center and states to file responses on the issue, said that the main problem is "transporting and providing food for migrants."
Thursday, the Center told the Supreme Court in Its reply that 97 lakh migrant workers have been sent home since 1 May, further emphasizing that it has taken "unprecedented steps" to address this "unprecedented crisis."
"This is an unprecedented crisis and we are taking unprecedented action," said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to the court during a hearing on the situation of migrant laborers in the midst of the lockdown of Covid-19.
Giving a break-up of the numbers, the government told the Supreme Court that Shramik Specials moved 50 lakh migrants to their homes between 1 and 27 May. The government added that another 41 lakh workers were sent out that road.
"Since May 1st ninety seven lakh migrants were transported," Mehta said.
The Solicitor General said specifics of all stranded migrants workers can only be obtained when the states provide that information, adding that more than 80 per cent of those workers sent home are from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
"Let the states respond and then you get an overall view. Don't let the hearing affect stray accidents,' he said.
The SC bench, consisting of Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justices SK Kaul and MR Shah, raised concerns about noncompliance with its previous order asking states and Center to ensure that no migrant has to walk to return home.
"If a migrant worker decides to go to a state, no state can say we won't take you," remarked a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan while hearing a suo motu case on migrant laborers initiated by him.
The court also noted that the government will hammer out a timeline within which to move migrant workers who are desirous of returning to their home States. Food and other facilities should be provided during the interim period, Justice Ashok Bhushan said.
Here are the top five points on migrants in the Supreme Court's order:
86540
103860
630
114
59824