On Monday, the Central Govt submitted before the High Court of Delhi that priority for evacuation to India will be accorded to migrant workers who have been laid off, short term visa holders faced with the expiry of visas, persons with medical emergency, pregnant women and the elderly.
The HC was hearing a plea filed by a group of pregnant nurses stranded abroad seeking directions to the ministries & authorities concerned for the facilitation of their return to the country alleging they are in serious distress & need medical & psycho-socio support.
Additional Solicitor General Maninder Acharya, appearing for the Union of India, submitted that the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs expressly stipulates that priority will be accorded to compelling cases in distress, including migrant workers/labourers who have been laid off, short term visa holders faced with expiry of visas, medical emergency, pregnant women, elderly, those required to return to India due to death of family member, & students.
Additional Solicitor General said that the guideline would be strictly followed & authorities are bound down to the aforesaid statement.
A bench of Justice Vibhu Bakhru, after hearing arguments in the matter disposed of the plea saying that the court observed that it is necessary to persons who are to be accorded priority.
The Court said that "A higher priority be accorded to persons who are in medical distress vis-a-vis persons who are otherwise hale & hearty but are stranded due to the expiry of their visa or other reasons".
The HC also refused to issue any order on the petitioner's prayer seeking directions for a special chartered flight from Saudi Arabia for bringing back the pregnant women saying that it does not consider it apposite to issue any direction that further flights be scheduled as steps have been taken towards the said end.
According to the Court, it is expected that the Govt would take all necessary steps, within the limitation of the resources available, to operate flights to bring back Indian citizens who are stranded overseas.
The plea was moved in the High Court of Delhi by an organization called United Nurses Association on behalf of the pregnant nurses stranded abroad through advocate Subhash Chandran KR.
The petition said that these 56 stranded pregnant nurses are healthcare workers & as such are exposed to hazards that put them at risk of COVID-19 infection.
It said that 55 members of the petitioner organisation, stranded in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & another member in Kuwait, need immediate medical & psycho-socio support as all of them are healthcare workers & therefore are exposed to hazards that put them at risk of infection.
The appeal had mentioned that these pregnant women did not get priority for repatriation in the first phase of 'Vande Bharat Mission' as announced by the Union of India. It sought directions to authorities concerned to schedule special chartered flight from Saudi Arabia for bringing back pregnant women including the listed 56 healthcare workers.
The petitioner prayed for the strict implementation of the Standard Operating Protocol for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country issued by the MHA & also to bring back listed 56 pregnant healthcare workers with highest priority.
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