The Supreme Court is hearing a petition demanding directions to provide migrants with food and shelter after they are rendered jobless due to the lockdown.
New Delhi| Centre told Supreme Court that there are no migrants on roads ‘as of 11 AM today’. The Supreme Court was hearing a petition asking for help in regards to food and shelter to migrant workers who are now jobless and want to return home amid the lockdown. Thousands had started walking on foot towards their hometowns from Delhi, which created a chaos at the Delhi-UP border with thousands stuck at Anand Vihar bus station.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told SC, “The Home Secretary is saying that as of 11 am this morning, nobody is on the road. They have been taken to the nearest available shelter.”
The centre told the SC that the migrants who were on road are now contacted by local authorities and have been provided with food and shelter.
SC also asked if anyone with symptoms was let go amongst these people who returned home. The SG said there has been a helpline number that has set up for these people to call on if they develop symptoms.
Court also told that according to the last census, over 4 Crore people had migrated for work and now there is backward migration due to fear of Covid-19.
Centre told the Court that lockdown was imposed in order to prevent meeting and mixing of people to contain spread of the virus.
SG Mehta told Sc, “We are trying to ensure that no migration is permissible, it would be risky for them (migrant workers) and the village population.”
Mehta also added that there is also resistance from the village population against those workers returning from cities.
CJI Bobde also pointed out that there needs to be sufficient availability of drinking water in the shelters along with food, beds, and medicine.
Tushar Mehta assured that there is enough stock of food for 1 year.
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