SC stays Orissa HC order directing state to ensure migrants test negative for COVID-19 before boarding conveyance

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Orissa High Court's order, which directed the state government to ensure that migrant workers who want to return to the state, be tested negative for COVID-19 before they board conveyance.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice BR Gavai stayed the Orissa High Court order.

Orissa High Court had on Thursday asked the state govenrment to ensure that all the migrants, queued to return to Odisha, are tested negative for coronavirus before boarding conveyance to the state.

The Apex Court stayed the Orissa High Court order after Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter before the apex court and requested that it be looked into.

Mehta, senior law officer representing the Union of India (UoI), told the top court that people, and especially migrant labourers, should be allowed to enter the state of Odisha as it has been more than 40 days since the lockdown has been imposed.

He said that various sections of people like workers, students and others have been facing problems as they have been stranded in other states due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown.The Solicitor General said that the states need to make necessary arrangements if they wish to check the people but they cannot completely ban their entry and added that such orders would lead to cascading effect of such restrictions being imposed by other states.

( With inputs from ANI )