Cong leader seeks SC's order for immediate food, medicine, employment for migrant workers

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday (May 27) approached the Supreme Court for a direction to the Centre to formulate a nation-wide action plan to address the issues, including adequate food, medicine, shelter and gainful employment, for stranded migrants.

In an application filed through advocate Sunil Fernandes, he sought to intervene into the Suo Motu matter registered as "problems and miseries of migrant workers", coming up for consideration on Thursday (May 28).

He said due to the nation-wide lockdown, Parliament has not been able to conduct any session since March of 2020, and hence he and the Congress party have been unable to raise the issues of migrant labourers before the House.

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He contended that the Union Government had failed to formulate any joint committee with the opposition political parties for addressing issues of stranded migrant labourers. It has been unable to consider the measures suggested by him and the opposition party or any member of Parliament not belonging to the ruling dispensation.

Among his suggestions, he said the government must identify the total number of migrant labourers who continue to be stranded, by carrying out an exercise at the district and village level.

His application suggested that the Union government may immediately set up reception centres and facilitation centres at district and village level for receiving labourers and facilitating further their travel to their native places.

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He further said the financial reliefs, announced by the Union government should be implemented on an urgent and immediate basis and a public announcement and campaign detailing the timelines and step-wise procedure should be shared with the public and migrants.