On Thursday, Centre submitted before the Apex Court that it wont stop its efforts until all the migrant labourers, stranded across the country amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, are sent back to their homes.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Govt, said that at least 3,700 special trains have been operated till May 27 & over 91 lakh migrants have been transported back home. Solicitor General said that the Centre wont stop its efforts until everyone is sent back home.

A 3-Judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan & also comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul & Justice MR Shah was hearing the matter pertaining to the plight of the migrant workers, on which it had taken suo motu cognisance on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court, after hearing the submissions, ordered that the stranded migrant workers found walking home should immediately be taken to shelters & food & all other basic facilities should be provided to them.

The Top Court said that the migrant workers shall be provided food by the states at places, which shall be publicised & notified for the period that they are waiting for their turn.

Tushar Mehta said that UP & Bihar account for more than 80% of the migrants.

He told the Court that "The Centre decided that we must now shift the migrants. There is a total shifting of 1.85 lakh migrants per day through an average train journey of 187 trains. Transport from one state to another is done in coordination with the originating state".

When the Court asked who was bearing the cost of the travel of migrant workers, Solicitor General said that a decision was taken that rail fare would be taken either by originating state or receiving state, but wont be charged from the migrants.
He said that the originating state picks up migrants & brings them to railway stations, where they are screened & provided meals by the state.

Mr Mehta said that "Once the train starts, the food is provided by the Railways. If the journey is short then one meal & if it's long then two meals are provided. The state government provides buses to take them & drop them at their respective villages".

He said that they are quarantined as per the need arise.

The SC said that it's not that the Govt is not doing anything but looking at the number of stranded migrants, some concrete steps need to be taken.
SG said that over 1 crore migrant workers have been shifted but added that there are also workers who didn't want to shift & are looking for reopening of activities in search of work.

The Supreme Court underlined the need of a policy saying that there have been instances where one state sends migrants but at the receiving state says we are not accepting migrants. To this, SG said that everything has been agreed on by the States & that there is no dispute.

Mr Mehta said that there is no state which refuses entry to the migrants.

Senior Advocate PS Narasimha, appearing for UP, said that extraordinary efforts are taken by the State & 18 lakh persons have been shifted. He said that a mechanism has been established at every stage for the same.

He further said that apart from transporting 18 lakh persons, camps have been established, food is being provided in these camps.

Lawyer Manish Kumar, appearing for Bihar, said that ten lakh people have been transported via roads, & depending on the state of origin, these people are being placed in Centres where facilities are being provided by the state.

Appearing for Delhi Shramik Sangathan, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that there is a Disaster Management Act, under which a national plan has to be prepared.

Senior Lawyer Kapil Sibal said, "There are people who don't speak Hindi, there are migrants from other states who are not able to communicate. What food is being provided to them? Pulses are not the answer. Where will they cook all this?"

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