Expressing doubts about the claims of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on providing shelter for migrants during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Karnataka High Court has directed the Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department to look into BBMP’s migrant management actions.
A special division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhya Shreeniwas Oka and Justice B.V. Nagarathna issued the direction on Thursday after finding several discrepancies in the report submitted by the BBMP Commissioner on shelters set up for migrants during the lockdown.
Though the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) had on April 7 informed the bench that it found around 2,000 migrants, homeless and stranded persons living on footpaths in Majestic area, the BBMP’s report stated that there were only around 100 migrants in Majestic area.
No real effort
The bench noted that the BBMP had not even contacted the KSLSA to know the whereabouts of the 2,000 migrants before claiming that the number was only 100.
As the KSLSA counsel pointed out, the Bengaluru Urban District Legal Services Authority found that a large number of people, including children, were living under the Mahadevapura flyover, and some of them were getting food from NGOs, the bench observed that “there is no real effort made by BBMP to address the issue of migrants.”
Old or new shelters?
While the BBMP claimed to have established 13 shelters for migrants and other persons with a capacity of 652 persons, and that 451 persons have been accommodated in these shelters, the KSLSA pointed out that these 13 shelters are existing night shelters and not new ones.
Following this contradictory claim, the bench observed that the report submitted by the BBMP commissioner “creates a serious doubt whether there are 13 newly established shelters for migrants, homeless people etc., within the limits of the BBMP.”
The BBMP’s report indicates that there was no systematic effort to ascertain how many migrants, homeless people and stranded people are on the streets, or are squatting in public places, the bench observed.
As the BBMP’s report itself pointed out that nearly 1/3rd of the total COVID-19 positive cases in the State are from Bengaluru Urban district, the bench said that it is all the more important for the BBMP to implement all the measures announced by the government.
48 hours sought
As the BBMP counsel sought 48 hours to come out with a fresh action taken report, the bench sought the fresh report by Sunday. Adjourning hearing till April 13, the bench asked the Additional Chief Secretary to issue appropriate directions to the BBMP.
