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The echo of Footforth of labour and Silence on Policy
The Supreme Court, which on Thursday ordered that no fare be charged from migrant workers for travel, said that even after registration, they had to wait for a long period, ranging from a week to a month, for their turn to board a bus or a train. “A large number of migrant workers are still seen proceeding on foot to different places,” a threejudge Bench observed. When SolicitorGeneral Tushar Mehta wondered aloud whether this would encourage more people to walk, the court said dryly that they were already walking home. Many had decided to walk because they got no word from officials even after registering for transport back to their villages. Mr. Mehta said 3,700 Shramik Special trains had been operated from May 1 to 27. So far, about 91 lakh migrants were shifted by train and road. The Central and State governments “are of the view that no worker should undertake onfoot journey for their destination”. The court sought details from the government on the number of stranded workers and plans for their registration and transport. A hearing has been scheduled for June 5. The nearly threehour hearing through videoconference witnessed the court question the government about its “lapses” in providing adequate food, shelter and transport to thousands of migrant workers, triggering an exodus during the lockdown. The Centre maintained that workers were “locally instigated” to walk home. Mr. Mehta said the government machinery, from the ‘safai karamchari’ to the Prime Minister, were selflessly battling an “unprecedented crisis”. He accused the “prophets of doom” and “armchair intellectuals” of stirring trouble and weakening the resolve. He questioned their patriotism. He said the court should not be allowed to be made into a political platform. Clear policy The court asked why certain States had turned away migrant workers from their borders. There was a need for a concrete and uniform policy between the Centre and the States and among States as regard to the crisis. “Look to the future. How much time do you need to transport migrants workers? What is the monitoring mechanism to ensure food and basic necessities? It is not that the government is not doing enough but concrete steps need to be taken. Hard reality is that there is a need for a mechanism to tackle the crisis,” the court observed. Mr. Mehta said many workers had opted to stay back as workplaces were opening up.
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