HYDERABAD: Taking cognisance of the plight of migrant workers stranded in the State, the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the government to ensure they are soon sent to their native states and provided proper shelter in the meantime.
The court directed the State to consider shifting the migrant workers, who are stranded at Secunderabad station and housed in a nearby shelter, to a government school near Uppal bus stand and install e-toilets at these shelters.
As all the five Shramik trains are scheduled to leave on Thursday (June 11) for Odisha, perhaps more Shramik trains should be re-started for far-off destinations like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand, the bench noted.
A bench comprising of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy was hearing a bunch of PILs regarding this issue. Referring to its earlier order, the bench directed advocate general BS Prasad to inform if the State had made any effort to use RTC buses to transport migrant workers to the neighbouring states.
If the court direction is implemented, then the State should inform the court about the number of migrants who have been transported by buses, the bench noted. “Needless to say, it will be in the interest of the State to transport migrant workers as soon as possible out of the State. For, while the migrant workers are within the borders of our State, it is duty of the state to look after their personal and physical needs, which undoubtedly imposes a great financial burden on the State exchequer”, the bench observed.