New Delhi: Over 91 lakh migrants were shifted back to their native states since May 1 using road and rail routes, claimed the central government in Supreme Court on Thursday. The submission was made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before an apex court bench which has taken suo motu cognisance of the migrant workers' plight. The court, in its initial response to the Centre, observed that a uniform policy must be adopted on facilitating the return of migrants to their native towns or villages. '10 Lives Lost on Shramik Trains': Govt Denies Deaths Due to Hunger, Says Autopsy Needed to Determine Cause of Demise.
The Centre, in a issued a notice by the court on Tuesday, was asked to respond with the measures taken so far to alleviate the plight of stranded labourers. Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Modi government, said the Centre has been coordinating with all the states to arrange for their commutation.
The Solicitor General also informed the court that nearly 80 percent of the stranded migrants are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Among states, the UP government must be lauded as it is providing food kits, Rs 1,000 cash and quarantining the arriving migrants before sending them to their villages, Mehta added.
Update by ANI
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar account for over 80 per cent of migrants. 91 lakh migrants shifted so far: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta tells Supreme Court during hearing on migrant labourers matter. twitter.com/ANI/status/126…
"This is an unprecedented crisis and we are taking unprecedented measures. Centre and states are working above political and party lines so that mitigation measures are taken. We have shifted 1.85 lakhs migrants per day," Mehta said.
The government counsel also pointed out that nearly 3,700 Shramik trains have been operated since May 1 to ferry around 50 lakh migrants stranded in the states where they were employed. The remainder were taken back to their native states through special buses.
On the Supreme Court's query on ticket fares of migrant workers boarding Shramik trains, the government said either the state of origination or destination bears the cost. The first food meal for them, before boarding the train, is arranged by the originating state, Mehta added. The Railways has provided 84 lakh meals during the journey, he claimed.
The apex court, after taking cognisance of media reports on the plight of migrant workers, listed the matter for urgent hearing this week. "We take suo motu cognizance of problems and miseries of migrant labourers who had been stranded in different parts of country. The newspaper reports and media reports have been continuously showing the unfortunate and miserable conditions of migrant labourers walking on-foot and cycles from long distances," the court had said.
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