‘It’s State’s responsibility to take care of migrants’

CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday observed that it is the responsibility of the state to provide every migrant worker with adequate food, drinking water, shelter and medical facilities.

The division bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and R Hemalatha issued the order based on a plea filed by one AP Suryaprakasam who sought for a direction in producing 400 migrant labourers stranded in Maharashtra.

The State submitted that all guidelines put forth by the Supreme Court are being followed and the labourers are not even charged.  The bench observed that “it is duty of the state to see to that every migrant worker is provided with adequate food, drinking water, shelter and medical facilities. Having extracted work from the labourers, our State cannot be ungrateful.

Hence, the government is directed to identify the migrant labourers who are without food, shelter and medical facilities and provide the same to them on the war-footing.”The bench adjourned the hearing to June 8, by when the State must submit a report on action taken.