PIL in Delhi HC for direction to Delhi govt to provide basic facilities to migrant labourers

A PIL has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the AAP government to take all measures for the welfare of migrant labourers, including providing them basic facilities and checking the spread of coronavirus among them. The petition, likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday, also sought direction to the Delhi government to follow the guidelines issued by the Centre as also the parameters of social distancing, health and hygiene to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The PIL filed by Manish Singh, who claims to be an activist, said the authorities have failed to set up a mechanism to ensure that thousands of migrant workers do not congregate at one particular centre setting at nought the entire system of social distancing.

It claimed that the authorities are herding the migrant labourers, who wish to go to their native place, like cattle and dropping them at various locations/ schools/ community centres as per their whims and fancies without providing them basic facilities for survival in the present heat wave condition. The plea sought direction to the authorities to provide basic facilities, including food, proper shelter, toilets and drinking water, to migrant labourers who are stationed at various centres pursuant to their registration for travel and screening.

“These labourers, in the light of directions issued by the Government of India, from time to time, reach the nearest centre where they could get themselves registered so that they could be permitted to board the various trains going to their native places.

“However, upon reaching the designated centres, most of the labourers return empty handed and those who are successful are picked and dumped by the respondent (Delhi government) at schools, etc, where there are no basic facilities and no provision for food for these labourers,” it claimed.

The petitioner said he has sent an e-mail to the authorities regarding this in May but no action was taken.