Brinda Karat disappointed over SC's probe into Centre's handling of migrant crisis

Even as the Supreme Court pronounced that no travel fare would be charged from migrant workers on their way back home amid lockdown, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat has found the verdict "disappointing and surprising", because the Supreme Court did not question the Centre over the actions taken to ease the sufferings of migrants.

"The Supreme Court's judgement is both disappointing and surprising. It's disappointing because the Supreme Court did not question any of the claims which were being made by the Central government about what all unprecedented steps they had taken in favour of migrants," said Brinda Karat while speaking to a news agency.

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"It is a simple question. If they have taken such unprecedented steps to help migrants why would lakhs of workers be on the streets with their children? Why would lakhs of women workers be on the streets lifting luggage holding babies in their arms?" the CPI(M) leader added.

"And secondly, it is surprising because the Supreme Court decided that the transport through Railways which is under the Central government... the transport charges should be borne by the State government, not by the Centre. The Central government is absolutely exonerated of its responsibilities as far as transport is concerned except to provide meals," said Karat.

"If they wanted to ask the state government's to pay at least they should have heard the State governments. They did not give notice to State governments and didn't even hear them out. They just went by what Centre was saying," she added.

Interim directions by SC

• No fare either by train or bus will be charged from migrant workers. The Railway fare will be shared by states.
• All migrants who are stranded shall be provided food by the concerned state at places publicised.
• The originating state should provide food and water at the station and thereafter, food and water shall be provided by Railways during the train journey. Subsequently, the destination state shall give transport, food, and water from stations to their villages. This is applicable even for bus journeys.
• States shall speed up registration of migrant workers and build help desks near places where they are stranded. They should ensure that after registration, the migrant workers are made to board the train or bus at an early date. Complete information needs to be publicised so that migrants are aware of this. 
• Whenever a migrant is found walking on the road they will be taken to the camps at the earliest and provide facilities.
• As and when the state governments put in a request for trains, Railways has to provide them.

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(With ANI inputs)