Centre & state need to show greater urgency to bring back stranded workers: Uttarakhand HC

The Centre and the state government need to show 'greater urgency' to bring back stranded workers and others who are walking back to their respective homes in Uttarakhand, by a proper and decent mode of transportation, the Uttarakhand High Court said on Wednesday.

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In a PIL filed by  Preetam Singh Panwar, the sitting MLA of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly alleged that only those who are stranded on roads and in relief camps are being permitted to come to Uttarakhand according to the statement of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, reported in a daily. 

Panwar urged the High Court to permit all the migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons who are stranded at different places to return to their homes in Uttarakhand without any discrimination. His PIL was heard by a division bench comprising of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice RC Khulbe.

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Immediate measures need to be taken: HC

The division bench said that immediate measures are also required to be taken to provide stranded workers and others, water, food and shelter en route till they are transported to their respective destinations within the state.

"The indifference exhibited by the haves, to the plight of these have nots who are forced to walk for miles together without food and water (during peak summer when several parts of the country are seeing a record surge in day temperature), is extremely disturbing," read the order.

The bench further said that the lackadaisical approach adopted, to ameliorate the plight of these miserable lot, does not show the administration, both at the Centre and in the State, in good light. The court hearing has been deferred for June 29.

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COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand

According to the latest data of the Ministry of health and family welfare Uttarakhand so far has 469 confirmed cases of coronavirus with 79 patients being recovered/discharged and 4 deaths. The doubling rate of coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand has spiked during the last ten days and the number of infections has jumped nearly five times during the period due to the influx of migrants in the state, officials said on Wednesday.

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(With agency inputs)