The Supreme Court Thursday pulled up the Maharashtra Government on the migrant workers issue and refused to accept its claim that there was no problem in the state on this front, saying it is its duty to find out the lapses and act on them.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah asked the state to file a fresh affidavit listing the steps taken to mitigate the problems of migrants wanting to return to their homes amid the Covid.
It is not an adversarial litigation, the bench said, posting the matter for further hearing on July 17. During the hearing of the case taken up suo motu (on its own) by the top court on the miseries of migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown, the bench said: What is happening in Maharashtra? Large number of migrant workers are still in the state.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, said that the latest affidavit has been filed on July 6 in compliance with the apex court’s order.