The Himachal Pradesh HC recently directed the State to respond on a PIL seeking the formulation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to address the challenges faced by migrant labourers and the Court has asked the State to report on the implementation of various schemes or advisories issued by the Central Government in regard to this.
A Bench of Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua also directed the PIL petitioner to supply all necessary particulars to the District Administration for immediate steps.
Advocate Subhash Chandran KR had filed the petition seeking to protect the fundamental rights of the migrant labourers to health and livelihood guaranteed under Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
The petition reads,
“… there is no proper response to the help-lines and there are several areas where there is no water, food, medicines and healthcare etc. are made available.”
The petitioner had raised concern that migrant workers in the State are facing serious physical assaults amid the COVID-19 scare, citing attacks in Barot village in the Mandi district on April 11 by a group of unidentified locals.
The Court was told that the petitioner had procured food materials worth Rs. 50,000 with the help of fellow lawyers and friends and that he had approached the local authorities for the permission to distribute the same to migrant labourers, but the petition was denied by the local authorities.
The prayers made also included the issuance a temporary Ration Cards to the migrant workers, the provision of financial assistance, protective equipment such as face masks, sanitizers etc and strict legal action against persons attacking migrant workers.
The matter will be next heard on May 5.
