Karnataka HC doubts BBMP’s claims of building shelter homes for stranded labourers

The Karnataka High Court on Friday raised doubts over the BBMP’s claims of reaching out to stranded migrant labourers and sought a detailed report from the additional chief secretary, Urban Development Department.

Hearing a public interest litigation on the COVID-19 scenario, a high court division bench of Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice B V Nagarathna found several lapses in the report submitted by the BBMP commissioner on shelter homes to rehabilitate stranded migrant workers.

While the BBMP told the court that a mere 100 people without shelter are in the Majestic area, the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) said on April 7 that 2,000 people have been stranded in the area due to the lockdown.

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The bench was unhappy that the civic body did not consult KSLSA on the 2,000 migrants in the Majestic area. While the BBMP said it created 13 shelter homes, KSLSA told the bench that the 13 are existing night shelters and not new ones.

After the KSLSA’s submission that hundreds sheltering below the Mahadevapura flyover, including women and children, are fed by NGOs on
a daily basis, the bench observed: “There seem to be no efforts made by the BBMP officials to (fulfill) the needs of the migrant labourers. It gives a doubt whether the BBMP had actually set up 13 shelters to house stranded migrant labourers and the needy in the city.”

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After advocates representing the Palike sought two or three days to submit fresh details, the court asked them to submit it by Sunday and posted the
matter to April 13.

It directed the additional chief secretary to issue suitable instructions to the BBMP commissioner in this regard.