Supreme Court asks Centre to counsel migrant workers, ensure food, water, medicine for them

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to rope in counsellors, including religious and community leaders of all faiths, to visit relief camps and shelters homes to allay any apprehension among migrant workers, facing distress situation on the 21-day lockdown to fight COVID-19 pandemic.

It said, "panic can severely affect mental health" and so there was a "need to calm down those who are

in a state of panic".

The top court also asked the Union government to ensure sufficient water, food, medicine and bed to hundreds of workers, housed in temporary shelter homes and other places in several states across the country. It also asked to curb fake news by taking action and ensure dissemination of authentic information on the Coronavirus.

"The migration of the large number of labourers working in the cities was triggered by panic created by fake news that the lockdown would continue for more than three months. Such panic-driven migration has caused untold suffering to those who believed and

acted on such news. In fact, some have lost their lives in the process," a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao said.

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"We do not intend to interfere with the free discussion about the pandemic, but direct the media refer to and publish the official version about the developments," the bench added.

The court also directed the police and other authorities to act inhumane manner in dealing with the migrants.

"The anxiety and fear of the migrants should be understood by

the Police and other authorities. They should deal with the migrants in a humane manner," the bench said, adding volunteers should be engaged along with the police to supervise the welfare activities.

The court agreed to the Centre's contention that exodus of migrant workers cannot be allowed as virus would be spread to rural areas, creating havoc.

The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure that the Centre, as well as the states, employed counsellors including religious and community leaders to soothe frayed tempers among such workers.

The top court was hearing two PILs filed by Alakh Alok Srivastava and Rashmi Bansal, who wanted urgent steps to address the problems faced by the migrants, who came out roads to march their villages within days of the lockdown.

After detailing the steps taken so far, Mehta said there was a need to prevent spread of fake news pertaining to Coronavirus on social media Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok and other platforms.

The court approved of Mehta's submission that steps would be within 24 hours to ensure that unverified material was not published or aired. He submitted that an act of creating panic was an offence under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. He asked the court to issue directions to "protect country from any potential and inevitable consequences from false alarm" though deliberate or unintended fake or inaccurate reporting.

Among other measures, Mehta said exclusive hospitals to treat Corona patients would soon be set up.

He said a panel would be formed soon headed by a joint secretary level official of Health Ministry in this regard which will have reputed docs of hospitals like AIIMs for the purpose.