Migrant workers board a tempo to travel back to their hometown in Solapur at Katraj bypass on Wednesday. (Express photo by Ashish Kale)

“What is the estimated time required to shift migrants?”

“What arrangements are being made and what’s being done to ensure that they are given information?”

“Are workers being asked to shell out money?”

“Why should there be a food shortage among people?”

These are some of the probing questions posed by the Supreme Court on Thursday to the Centre on the plight of the migrant workers who were stranded across the country without food, shelter, and transportation after the nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic on March 25.

Issuing an order later, a three-judge bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, S K Kaul and M R Shah said “several lapses have been noticed” in the process of registration, transportation and providing food and water to migrants. It ordered that no fare either by train or bus shall be charged from the migrant labourers and that it should be shared by states. The Supreme Court also ruled that the originating state should provide meal and water at the station while the Railways will provide the same during the journey.

The court also said that those who are stranded should be provided food by the states concerned at places, which shall be publicised and notified for the period that they are waiting for their turn.

“Even after registration, migrants have to wait for their turn to board the train or bus. A large number of migrants are still proceeding by foot, though Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there are instructions to state governments to facilitate a bus or vehicle if any migrants are seen walking on foot,” the court observed. “We further direct that those migrant workers found walking on the roads, immediately be taken to shelters and provided food and all facilities should be provided to them.”

“The state shall oversee the registration of migrant workers and states to ensure that after registration, they are made to board the train or bus at an early date. Complete information should be publicised to all concerned,” it ordered.

Stating that all necessary details regarding the number of migrant workers and the plan to transport them should be brought on record, the court said Railways needs to provide trains as and when the state governments put in a request.

‘Prophets of doom’ spreading negativity: Centre responds

Faced with a barrage of questions from the top court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta targeted “prophets of doom” and said they “only spread negativity”. “State governments and ministers are working over night but none of these people acknowledge that…these armchair intellectuals do not recognise the nation’s effort,” SG Mehta told the apex court.