Greater urgency needs to be shown by Centre, state govt to bring back stranded workers: U'khand HC

The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday said that "greater urgency" needs to be shown, by both the Centre and the state government, to bring back stranded workers and others, who are walking back to their respective homes in Uttarakhand, by a proper and decent mode of transportation.

A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice RC Khulbe was hearing a PIL of Preetam Singh Panwar, the sitting MLA of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, in which he alleged that as per the statement of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, reported in a newspaper, that only those who are stranded on roads and in relief camps are being permitted to come to Uttarakhand.

Panwar requested the High Court to permit all the migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons who are stranded at different places to return to their homes in Uttarakhand without any discrimination.

The hearing has been deferred for June 29.

The division bench said that immediate measures are also required to be taken to provide stranded workers and others, water, food and shelter en route till they are transported to their respective destinations within the state.

"The indifference exhibited by the haves, to the plight of these have nots who are forced to walk for miles together without food and water (during peak summer when several parts of the country are seeing a record surge in day temperature), is extremely disturbing," read the order.

"The lackadaisical approach adopted, to ameliorate the plight of these miserable lot, does not show the administration, both at the Centre and in the State, in good light," the bench said.

( With inputs from ANI )