The State and Union governments on Monday took different stands on payment of train fares of migrant workers leaving from Karnataka to their home States.

While the State claimed that it was right in collecting the prescribed train fare from the workers if their home States had not deposited advance fare for their travel, the Union government said Karnataka has to pay the fare and get it reimbursed from home States later.

Following these contentions, a special Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice B.V. Nagarathna directed the State government to reply whether it would allow migrant workers to leave in Shramik special trains even if they don’t have money to pay for the tickets.

From the submissions, the Bench noted that the State government was bearing the travel cost of return of migrant workers of Karnataka origin from other States while not paying the travel expenses of migrants going to home States.

It was contended by the counsel appearing for People’s Union for Civil Liberties that the State government must bear the expenses of migrants irrespective of their origin and not allowing them to travel sans paying fare would violate fundamental rights.

Meanwhile, the government told the court that so far around 1.3 lakh migrants have left the State in several special trains.

No clarity

However, the Bench noted that there was no clarity in the State government’s statement on whether all migrant workers registered for travel would be allowed and how many were waiting to go back.

The Bench adjourned further hearing asking the State government to submit approximate number of workers waiting to leave Karnataka on special trains, and number of buses arranged to take them to the neighbouring States.