COVID-19 Lockdown: SC To Hear PIL On Plight Of Migrant Workers

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea seeking its urgent intervention on the plight of migrant workers compelled to head to their hometowns from urban areas where they are currently working. The PIL filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava seeks the apex court's directions on providing food, shelter and medical assistance to workers leaving cities for their hometowns across the country.

Several reports, from the time that the lockdown was imposed, of workers fleeing cities to return to their homes in villages, have been doing the rounds on electronic and social media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Sunday, expressed his apologies to the people for the inconvenience that was being caused by the 21 day lockdown, which he described as an absolutely essential measure. It is a step that the government had to take to protect every single individual and their families and therefore, it is necessary for all citizens to comply with the government's directives, PM Modi said. The Prime Minister said that he was aware of the difficulties being faced by migrant workers, but assured them that the government would take care of their problems and that the lockdown was a necessary step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile the total number of reported COVID-19 positive cases in the country has been rising and is stated to be over 1,100. 27 deaths have been reported across the country, while 95 are stated to have been cured or discharged, as per the website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.