Over 22K govt relief camps functional in country to help needy citizens, Centre informs SC

Over 22,000 government-run relief camps are functional in 578 districts of country to provide shelter and food to needy citizens during 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb spre of COVID-19, Centre informed Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Centre stated this in its status report in response to PIL filed by activists Harsh Mander and Anjali Bhardwaj, seeking enforcement of fundamental right to life for migrant workers and payment of ws to m as y have been left without work or food following lockdown.

report, filed by ditional secretary Gyanesh Kumar of Ministry of Home Affairs, gave facts and figures on relief camps, shelter homes and food camps run by several state governments and NGOs and said several lakhs of needy people are getting food and shelter in such centres.

Seeking dismissal of PIL, Centre said that all stakeholders are working in coordination and taking "pro-active and pre-emptive steps" to deal with situations.

" Central Government has taken pro-active and pre-emptive steps to first deal with emergent priority existing n viz. containing spre of Corona Virus in country. As compared to position in several parts of world, proactive, continuously monitored and pre-emptive steps taken by Central Government and all State Government have been successful and spre of virus is at its minimum," report said.

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It said that in 578 districts of country, 22,567 relief camps are run by governments and 3,909 by several NGOs and in m, over one crore needy citizens have taken shelter and are getting food also. report also said that over 17,000 food camps are operational in country and people get food re.

It also said over 15 lakh people have been given shelter and food by ir respective employers during this lockdown.

"I state that while it is responsibility of Central Government and all State Governments to ensure protection of every section of this society, which Central Government and all State Governments are discharging scrupulously, present petition may t be entertained ...," MHA officer said.

It said PIL was "bereft of any facts and is based on some newspaper reports".

Centre and all state governments are doing ir best strategizing all human resources and or resources to come out of this unprecedented global crisis, it said ding that during this "unprecedented crisis", such a plea should t be entertained.

apex court, while deferring hearing on PIL to April 13, observed that it was t an "expert" body to deal with health and manment issues of migrant workers during 21-day nationwide lockdown.

bench heed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took te of response of government that it was monitoring situation and has set up helpline number for helping poor workers.

Earlier, Centre h told Supreme Court that it has taken steps to deal with coronavirus pandemic due to which its spre was so far contained but fake news, causing serious panic, is "single most unmanable hindrance" in manment of this challenge. 

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