Lockdown: Supreme Court Seeks Centre's Response On Minimum Wages To Migrant Workers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Centre on a plea filed by activists Harsh Mander and Anjali Bharadwaj on minimum wages for migrant workers during the lockdown period. The petitioners sought directions from the apex court to the Centre to pay minimum wages to migrant workers who are stranded in different parts of the country.

The Supreme Court held the hearing via video conference, according to media reports. The apex court is said to have observed that it was particularly concerned about the condition of migrant labourers in the unorganised sector.

The apex court dismissed a plea seeking take-over of hotels, guest-houses and resorts and a temporary basis in order to turn them into shelters for migrant workers or isolation/quarantine centres. The Bench observed that the Centre and states were already seized of the matter. It added that special directions on this matter were not required, media reports stated.

The plight of migrant workers came into sharp focus in the days that followed the 21-day lockdown announced by PM Modi on the night of March 24. Visuals of thousands of migrant labourers mainly from Delhi, heading home were aired by several channels. Migrant workers were seen walking along highways in groups.

The matter came up for hearing earlier last week in the apex court after the Centre was asked to respond to a petition filed by advocate Alok Srivastava on the plight of stranded migrant labourers. The Centre told the Supreme Court bench that as of Tuesday last there were no migrant workers on the road and close to 23 lakh migrant labourers had been taken care of. Those stranded on roads were moved to the nearest shelter by respective states, the Centre informed the court.