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A petition was filed in Bombay High Court on the plight of migrant workers as well of marginalised communities and the homeless in Mumbai by NGOs called Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan, pani Haq Samiti and Homeless Collective. Justice AA Sayed of Bombay High Court gave an order on April 8, observing that in such a situation of crisis, the state government has an uphill task of ensuring relief measures reach to all those who need them. The court asked the state government to ensure “that no victims go hungry and the food/food-grains reach all victims (even in remote areas), and drinking water, medicines, healthcare and hygienic toilette facilities are provided to them.”
The government pleader stated that “the State Government has set up 4871 relief/shelter camps and about 7.5 lac migrant labourers have been accommodated and are being provided 3 meals a day. He submitted that a common help-line has been provided in each district. He further submitted that 5 kgs food grain per person has been provided free of cost under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.”
The petitioners were, however, not satisfied with this statement and responded by stating that “the benefits are not reaching the migrant labourers and homeless persons… there is no proper response to the help-lines and there are several areas where there is no water, food, medicines and healthcare, and toilet facilities made available.” The government pleader disputed this claim.
Yet, the High Court considered that in such difficult times all government machineries should help the government in completing this herculean task of providing relief to the homeless, marginalised as well as the migrant workers. Hence, the court, in a bid to let the government have a better stock of the situation encouraged the petitioners to make representation to the Collectors of respective districts about the areas where these issues are being faced so that relief materials can reach people who are in dire need of the same.
Not only that, the court, to ensure that action is being taken, asked that the copies of these representations be sent to the District Legal Services Authority by email and that the Authority “shall ascertain the grievances made in the representation by deputing appropriate person/s (who shall take all necessary precautions including wearing of masks, etc) and shall bring them to the notice of the concerned Authorities and file a report” by the next hearing date, April 15.
The court also requested the Advocate General to make an appearance in the matter to represent the state of Maharashtra. To avoid duplicity of PILs, directions were issued to the registry to list all similar matters before the same bench so they be adjudged together.
The Bombay High Court order can be read here
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