West Bengal didn't handle migrants issue properly: Bombay High Court

Bombay High Court on Tuesday said migrants' issue was t handled properly in West Bengal amid COVID-19 pandemic, and government re at one point of time even refused to permit labourers from or parts of country to return to ir homes.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Anuja Prabhudessai made observation while hearing a petition filed by Centre of Indian Trade Unions, a Mumbai-based trade union body, raising concerns over plight of migrant workers stranded in Maharashtra in wake of coronavirus-induced lockdown.

According to petitioner, process laid down by Maharashtra government wherein migrant workers have to register mselves to travel by 'Shramik Special' trains to ir native states was cumbersome and should be simplified.

government last month told court that presently re are demands for 'Shramik Special' trains. Senior counsel Gayatri Singh, appearing for petitioner, on Tuesday told court that government's submission that re are stranded migrants who desire to go back to ir native states was "incorrect".

" petitioner has got in touch with several such migrant labourers and has learnt that re are some 56,000 labourers who still want to travel back to ir native states, Singh said, adding many of se labourers are from West Bengal.

court, however, asked how can it accept this.

"Do you kw situation in West Bengal? government re at one point did t even permit migrant labourers to return...we do t want to say anything against anyone but situation re was t handled properly," Chief Justice Datta said.

He also gave an example of 30 labourers stranded in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra who had arranged a bus on ir own and travelled to West Bengal a few months back.

"Each and every migrant labourer is t banking upon state government. Many are making ir own arrangements to travel back to ir native states," court said.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for Maharashtra government, on Tuesday told court that a similar matter pertaining to issue of migrant workers was pending before Supreme Court. high court, after perusing order passed by SC on July 9, ted that it was specific to Maharashtra.

" Supreme Court, in its order dated July 9, 2020, expressed its displeasure at state governments reluctance to find out if re are migrants stranded in Maharashtra and were ready to leave for ir native states. apex court sought Maharashtra governments response and has listed matter for furr hearing on July 17, high court said.

In view of this, bench posted petition for hearing in first week of August.

(Photo Credit: PTI)