NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to ensure that Rohingyas did not suffer discrimination in getting basic facilities of life while making it clear that the refugees could not seek additional benefits which are not provided to even citizens living in slums.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said
Rohingya refugees were living in camps near slums and kind of facilities given by governments to citizens residing there had to be considered while deciding the amenities to be given to them.
Additional solicitor general
Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the bench that government is not discriminating in providing basic facilities and whatever was being to citizens was being given to refugees as well.
Advocate Sneha Mukherjee, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the bench that basic facilities of heath care, drinking water and sanitation were not being provided to the
Rohingya refugees in five camps in NCR and told the bench that they were being subjected to harassment and molestation.
Mehta, however, denied the allegations and assured the court that the Centre would file a report on living conditions in the camps within four weeks. "I am not running away but I cannot give benefits to them which I don't give to my citizens. Whatever is provided to citizens are being given to the refugees also. We are not discriminating but we cannot provide facilities additional to what is given to the citizens."
"I wish the public spirited person also examined the plight of poor people living in slums near the Rohingya camp. Nobody is taking about citizens living in slums," Mehta said.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan told the bench that the Centre is virtually accepting that it was providing basic necessities to slum dwellers and pleaded the court to pass directions to the government to ensure health, education and other facilities to all, including the refugees.
