A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court for making food, water, shelter, medical aid available to migrant workers and their families, who are walking on foot to their villages, amid COVID-19 crisis.
The petition by advocate Alakh Alok Srivasatava sought an immediate direction to the Centre to redress the "heart wrenching and inhuman plight of thousands of migrant workers", who were rendered jobless after the 21-day lockdown.
The rights of these workers under Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India are being violated in the present crisis situation, he submitted.
Migrant workers were reportedly seen leaving all big cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, for their respective native villages, without food, water, transport, medicine or shelter, following the country-wide lockdown imposed from March 25.
The petitioner contended these workers not only struggled to make ends meet but they also faced a stigma as 'virus' carriers. They might not be accepted by their respective villages, once they reached there, he feared.
He asked the court to direct the Centre to immediately identify such stranded migrant workers and to shift them to the nearest government shelter homes or grant them accommodations with proper food, water, medicines and under medical supervision, in a dignified manner, till the present coronavirus lockdown continues.
(Published 28 March 2020, 14:27 IST)
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