The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre as well as State government to publicise well the timings of special trains being operated to transport migrant workers to their home States and also the location of shelters where they could be accommodated until their departure.
Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and Anita Sumanth ordered that the train timings should be made available on the websites of the Ministry of Railways and the Revenue and Disaster Management department so that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) could guide the labourers.
Taking judicial note of migrant labourers walking towards the railway station without wearing masks and physical distancing norms, the judges said, the NGOs could ensure an orderly behaviour and render necessary help to the labourers in boarding trains bound to their home States.
They also called for detailed status reports, both from the Centre as well as the State government, by May 26 on the steps taken so far to transport migrant workers. The interim directions were issued on a public interest litigation petition filed by S. Thilakraj of Sevai Karangal.
In his affidavit, the litigant said, every day hundreds of migrant workers could be spotted either walking or cycling along National Highway-15. These labourers were headed towards Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand and Bihar.
The petitioner sought publicising the contact numbers of nodal officers in regional languages too apart from English and Tamil, establishing a multilingual helpline, restraining police from using force against the workers and ensuring safe and dignified transportation.
Additional Solicitor General G. Rajagopalan told the court that the Centre was operating a number of special trains and that it was up to the State governments to work in coordination and resolve issues related to migrant workers from one State not being allowed entry into another.
