Clarify who will pay for migrants' screening and transportation expenses: Bombay HC to Maharashtra government

Rosy Sequeira | TNN | Updated: May 5, 2020, 22:58 IST

Bombay high court (File Photo)

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the state government to clarify as to who will pay for free medical screening as well as transportation expenses of migrant workers who want to return home.
Justice Suresh Gupte, via video conference, heard three public interest litigation by NGOs, including Sarva Hara Jan Andolan, that highlighted the plight of migrants following the Covid-19 lockdown in Mumbai.
The NGO's advocates Kranti LC and Ronita Bector submitted that following the announcements by the Congress and the Centre, the state government being a coalition, must bear all transportation costs of the migrant workers, including their journey by bus. The Congress had a day earlier announced that it will bear expenses of train tickets of migrant workers. The Central government immediately clarified that railways will bear 85% of cost of the ticket, while the remaining 15 % will be paid by states.
Justice Gupte said the Central and state governments must coordinate and inform the court in the next hearing on May 8 as to how this would be implemented. Kranti informed the court that the migrant workers were incurring expenses to obtain medical clearance certificates before they can return home and which should actually be borne by the state government. The government's advocate admitted that the policy was silent on this aspect. Therefore Justice Gupte directed the state government to clarify the same.