Movement of stranded migrant workers, students allowed under these conditions
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday allowed the movement of persons stranded in different parts of the country amid the lockdown. The development comes as the government has been opposing the movement of migrant workers in the Supreme Court. On Monday, the court had sought the Centre's response within a week on the movement of migrant workers. Here are more details.
In a fresh set of guidelines issued Wednesday, the Home Ministry allowed the movement of "migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students, and other persons stranded at different places." The Ministry said that all states must designate nodal authorities and detail standard protocol for sending and receiving such stranded persons. For inter-state movement, the sending and receiving states must "mutually agree to the movement by road."
The stranded persons will be allowed to travel if they are found asymptomatic upon screening. Only buses have been permitted to transport the stranded persons. The buses must be sanitized and social distancing norms must be followed while seating passengers. States and union territories falling on the transit route for such inter-state travel must allow the transportation.
Once they reach their destinations, the stranded persons will be assessed by local health authorities. They will be placed under home quarantine unless the assessment requires them to be placed under institutional quarantine. "They would be kept under watch with periodic health check-ups," the government guidelines stated, adding that the stranded persons are encouraged to use the Aarogya Setu app.
The nationwide lockdown has been the cause of suffering for migrant workers across India. Left jobless and many evicted from homes, the workers wished to return to their native states. However, amid the travel shutdown, lakhs of such workers decided to walk hundreds of kilometers afoot. Several died on their journeys, either from health complications or road accidents. Others were housed in relief camps.
In recent days, several state governments had started making arrangements for migrant workers and students stuck in different parts of India. On Monday, the Supreme Court heard a petition regarding the movement of migrant workers. The Centre had argued in court that their movement was not necessary. The SC had asked the Centre to submit its response in the matter within a week's time.
