NEW DELHI: A day after the Centre cracked the whip against four senior Delhi government officers for failing to curb the migrant exodus to check the coronavirus and directed all states to seal their borders, there was a semblance of normalcy across India, though some officials exceeded their brief and sprayed bleach on bunches of migrants in at least two states to disinfect them.
The government also sought to quell rumours on the extension of the 21-day lockdown, with Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba describing them as “fake news”. It was those rumours that had prodded migrants to leave Delhi in large numbers for their native places.
The Army, too, did its bit to dispel fake news, rubbishing social media posts about a possible declaration of emergency in April.Another bureaucrat landed in trouble as the UP government transferred Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh, holding him responsible for the spike in cases there. A probe has also been initiated against him.
The matter of the migrant exodus reached the Supreme Court as well, with a bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde and Justice L Nageswara Rao observing that panic and fear had become a bigger problem than coronavirus. The bench sought a report from the Centre on the measures taken to prevent the migrant workers from going to their native places, after hearing two different petitions through video conferencing.
The court said it would not like to create further confusion by issuing directions on measures the government is already taking.The PILs, filed by advocates Alakh Alok Srivastava and Rashmi Bansal, sought relief, including food, water, medicines and proper medical facilities, for thousands of migrant workers leaving for their native places after being rendered homeless and jobless due to the lockdown.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, said migration needs to be stopped to prevent the spread of the virus and the Centre, as well as the states, have taken requisite steps to deal with it.
But Srivastava pointed to the lack of cohesion and cooperation between states on the matter. And Bansal said medical and safety measures, including sanitisers, ought to be provided to keep the migrants safe and healthy. But the bench remarked, “You are assuming that government is not doing anything. It is advising us on what steps to be taken. Let us see what they are doing. Let them file a common reply on both these petitions.”
In a related development, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said the government was open to the idea of direct transfer of cash to unemployed workers, including migrants, to compensate for their loss of livelihood due to the nationwide lockdown.
