NRKs ineligible for protection given to guest workers: Kerala government

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even when the controversy over Covid-19 test for expats returning to Kerala is brewing, the government made it clear that expats will not be eligible for protection the state had extended to migrant workers.
In an order issued by the government on Wednesday, Norka department has clarified that overseas returnees are different from migrant workers from other states. "Hence no protection can be given to overseas returnees as those given to migrant workers as specified in the apex court’s order," the order said.
The state made the clarification in the wake of the high court asking it to consider terming the persons coming from foreign countries as migrant workers for the sake of extending certain benefits. The court had made the suggestion while considering a PIL against the government decision to withdraw free institutional quarantine to persons returning from abroad.
The petitioners had approached the court citing the order of the apex court on May 28, with regards to the return of migrant workers to their native states.
"We direct the government to consider the issue, bearing in mind the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the suo motu writ petition no. 6 of 2020 dated 28 May 2020 with regard to food and shelter to the migrants," the judgement by a division bench of the high court consisting of chief justice S Manikumar and justice Shaji P Chaly had said.
The Supreme Court, in its interim order on May 28, had directed states that no fare should be charged from migrant worker for their travel by train or bus, they should be provided health screening and other facilities free of cost and workers, who are stranded at different places in the country, should be provided free food by states concerned.
State government had stated in court that it has identified 1.165 lakh rooms for quarantining NRK-returnees, and of this lot, 1.35 lakh rooms with attached toilets are readily available for quarantine purpose. The government further stated that another 9,000 rooms in hotels and resorts have been identified for the purpose of housing NRKs who wish to stay at their own cost. However, the state government is maintaining a position that the expats need not go on IQ and can go on home quarantine for 14 days.