Covid-19: Migrant workers returning home could be a major health hazard, says MHA report
The Centre made the submissions in the Supreme Court that is likely to take up the matter today.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has said that there is no necessity for migrant labourers to be shifted from their place of work to their hometowns amid a nationwide lockdown imposed till May 3 to combat the spread of Covid-19, News18 reported on Monday. The Centre has made a submission in the Supreme Court emphasising its opposition to migrant workers returning home.
The report will come up for discussion in the Supreme Court on Monday. The top court will hear a plea asking it to order the Centre and states to allow migrant workers to return home if they test negative for Covid-19.
“There is no necessity for migration of workers to shift from place of their occupation to the place of their residence and rush back to their villages,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a report. The ministry added that while the workers’ daily needs are being taken care of at the place of their work, their families are being fed in the villages.
The report said there was a significant hazard that allowing migration of labourers will spread Covid-19 in rural areas, which have so far been largely insulated from the virus. “The country is dealing with an unprecedented situation and any lapse at any end by anyone may result in loss of precious human lives,” the report said. “This is a question of general public importance and any movement of migrant workers being permitted would definitely cause a serious health hazard which can even lead to a life threatening situation for many.”
The report said 37,978 relief camps have been set up by states and Union Territories with nearly 14.3 lakh persons being provided shelter. As many as 26,225 food camps have also been opened, giving food to nearly 1.34 crore workers. The report added that nearly 16.5 lakh workers have also been given shelter and food by their respective employers.
The states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have called for return of migrant labourers to their hometowns. The Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh has already begun the process of repatriating migrants.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had last week promised that migrant labourers would be allowed to return to their hometowns soon. “I assure the migrant labourers that I am talking to the Centre and whatever is possible will be done soon,” he had said. “One thing is sure that trains are not running because we don’t want crowd, or else we will have to impose restrictions.”
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have also backed the return of migrants to their hometowns. The move by some states to take back migrants has attracted criticism from Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. “If migrants return, they will not return alone, coronavirus will return with them,” Gadkari had told NDTV on Sunday. “If the migrants are being taken back, it should be verified that they are not coronavirus positive”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference with the chief ministers on Monday to discuss the Covid-19 situation. However, details of the meeting are not yet available. Covid-19 has infected more than 27,800 people in India so far and led to the deaths of 872 people.