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Written by Arun Janardhanan | Chennai | Published: May 17, 2020 5:06:56 am
States where migrants go to work have a duty to ensure their safety and well-being, the court said.
“One cannot control his/her tears after seeing the pathetic condition of migrant labourers shown in the media for the past one month,” the Madras High Court said on Friday, and sought a detailed report from the Centre and the state on their numbers and status in the next six days — by May 22.
Host states must be made accountable for the safety and well-being of migrant workers, the court said.
The court was hearing a habeas corpus plea moved by advocate A P Suryaprakasam seeking a direction to the police of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra to locate and produce over 400 Tamil workers alleged to be under illegal detention in Maharashtra.
The division Bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice R Hemalatha said that while governments have taken care of every section of the society to the maximum extent possible, “guest workers and the agricultural work force are the neglected lot and they are the sufferers to the maximum”.
The court said that all relevant data of migrant labourers in all states must be collected, and the host state must be made accountable for their safety and well-being – and that all states were expected to act together to render assistance to these poorer sections of society.
It directed the central and state governments to file a detailed report on whether such data were being maintained and, if so, what the numbers of migrant workers in each state/Union Territory were.
“What is the number of migrant workers stranded in each state, what are all the assistance provided to those migrant workers by the respective states and the Union government, and whether those migrant workers are allowed to cross state borders or prevented from crossing the borders and if they are prevented, whether they are provided with basic amenities such as food, shelter and medical assistance?” the court asked.
It also sought a report on the number of migrant labourers who had died on the way to their home states, and the compensation that was paid to their families.
indianexpress.com
States where migrants go to work have a duty to ensure their safety and well-being, the court said.
“One cannot control his/her tears after seeing the pathetic condition of migrant labourers shown in the media for the past one month,” the Madras High Court said on Friday, and sought a detailed report from the Centre and the state on their numbers and status in the next six days — by May 22.
Host states must be made accountable for the safety and well-being of migrant workers, the court said.
The court was hearing a habeas corpus plea moved by advocate A P Suryaprakasam seeking a direction to the police of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra to locate and produce over 400 Tamil workers alleged to be under illegal detention in Maharashtra.
The division Bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice R Hemalatha said that while governments have taken care of every section of the society to the maximum extent possible, “guest workers and the agricultural work force are the neglected lot and they are the sufferers to the maximum”.
The court said that all relevant data of migrant labourers in all states must be collected, and the host state must be made accountable for their safety and well-being – and that all states were expected to act together to render assistance to these poorer sections of society.
It directed the central and state governments to file a detailed report on whether such data were being maintained and, if so, what the numbers of migrant workers in each state/Union Territory were.
“What is the number of migrant workers stranded in each state, what are all the assistance provided to those migrant workers by the respective states and the Union government, and whether those migrant workers are allowed to cross state borders or prevented from crossing the borders and if they are prevented, whether they are provided with basic amenities such as food, shelter and medical assistance?” the court asked.
It also sought a report on the number of migrant labourers who had died on the way to their home states, and the compensation that was paid to their families.
Can’t help but cry at migrant plight, says Madras HC, seeks report
The court was hearing a habeas corpus plea moved by advocate A P Suryaprakasam seeking a direction to the police of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra to locate and produce over 400 Tamil workers alleged to be under illegal detention in Maharashtra.
indianexpress.com
