Too little too late: Brinda Karat on Supreme Court order on migrant workers

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat on Tuesday expressed her dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court order on the plight of stranded migrant workers saying its efforts are too little too late.

"Where was the Supreme Court when the migrant workers including pregnant women and children were returning home. It's too little too late. Earlier, they refused to hear the petition and gave long date for hearings," Karat told here.

The apex court earlier today directed States and Union Territories to identify migrant workers stranded across the country willing to go back to their native places and transport them home within a period of 15 days.

Karat said that the top court accepts everything the Central government claims to have done.

"Crores of migrants have already reached home. They had borrowed money and spent it on their travel. Who is going to pay for that? Will the court consider and give the order to compensate those migrant workers with cash transfer? This is what is required today," Karat said.

The Supreme Court in its order today also directed that all the cases registered against migrant workers for allegedly violating lockdown norms under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to be considered as withdrawn.

The court also directed that Shramik special trains need to be provided within 24 hours as demanded. The Centre and states have to prepare a list for identification of migrant workers in a streamlined manner, the apex court said.

The top court issued the directions on a suo motu plea over the plight of migrant labourers stranded across the country amid the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown.

( With inputs from ANI )