Migrants’ woes: High Court likely to take up case again

In a letter to the High Court registry on Tuesday, the petitioner, advocate AP Suryaprakasam submitted that based on the habeas corpus petition filed by him, the court had on May 15 mandated the responsibility on the State government to provide food and shelter to all the migrant labourers. 

But despite the direction, the migrant labourers were suffering and were even denied free ration that is being given only to ration cardholders. The Tamil migrant labourers who were forced to return to Tamil Nadu from other States were also facing the same predicament, he added. He further submitted in his letter that the State government miserably failed to provide any basic amenities to the migrant labourers, including medical facilities to women of migrant families. Citing the instance of the delivery of a baby in an auto-rickshaw in Thudiyalur in Coimbatore after private hospitals refused to admit her citing the pandemic and the Thudiyalur Primary health Centre, which is supposed to function roundtheclock, was found closed, he sought reopening of his case which was closed based on the assurance by the State that migrant workers would be cared for. 

A division bench led by Justice N Kirubakaran, which passed orders on the HCP, is likely to take up the letter as a plea.