The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday directed the State government to evolve a mechanism to identify the migrant workers registered on Seva Sindhu portal who wish to go back and to specifically inform them to reach mustering centres for boarding Shramik Special trains.
A special Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice B.V. Nagarathna issued the direction while hearing PIL petitions related to issues arisen owing to COVID-19 lockdown.
Noticing that even the Supreme Court, in its June 9 order, had specifically directed the State governments to identify the migrants wishing to return to their home States, the Bench said that despite several directions, the government has not come out with a rational and transparent method to send back those registered on the portal.
Though Additional Advocate-General Dhyan Chinnappa pointed out that SMSs were sent to registered migrants to reach mustering centres, the Bench said that the latest circular issued by the government was silent on the aspect of how registered migrants were informed to reach mustering centres to enable them to board particular special train.
Pointing out that nothing placed on record to show that officials were deputed to identify the migrants wishing to return to their home States, the Bench also said that mustering centres were opened in only 13 districts though migrant workers are there in all most all the districts.
Earlier, Mr. Chinnappa told the court that SMSs were sent to around one lakh migrants registered on the portal during last one week but only around 3,000 migrants came to board the special trains. Most of the special trains are running with only a few migrants, with many coaches being empty.
Further hearing was adjourned till June 18.
