The State government has told the High Court of Karnataka that 200 relief camps have been established in various districts and within the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike limits for migrant workers in view of the COVID-19 lockdown and 9,239 such workers were housed in these camps as on April 2.
The government has also pointed out that 565 food camps have been established across the State and 1,16,871 needy persons were provided with food during the lockdown period in these food camps as on April 2.
Inspection ordered
Meanwhile, a special Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice B.V. Nagarathna, before whom the data of relief and food camps were submitted on Friday, directed the District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) to conduct inspection of some of the relief camps in every district.
The Secretaries of the respective DLSAs or their volunteers will have to visit some of the relief camps on random basis to ascertain the condition of these camps with reference to infrastructure and facilities provided to the migrant workers, the Bench said.
The Bench also directed the government to provide district-wise list along with all details of the camps set up for accommodating the migrant workers to the Secretaries. The inspection reports will have to be submitted to the High Court by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority after collecting data from the DLSAs.
Rented shelters
It was pointed out to the court on behalf of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties that the organisation has received complaints from approximately 10,718 migrant workers, who are staying in their rented accommodations or accommodations given by their employers/industries in various parts of the State, that they have not received ration as per the norms of lockdown.
However, it was also pointed out on behalf of PUCL that when details of such workers were communicated to the district administration of Mangaluru, immediate efforts were made to provide ration to many. The Bench asked the PUCL counsel to submit the list of 10,718 migrant workers to the government for taking steps to provide ration.
The government has also informed the court that 36,629 migrant workers were given shelter and food by the employers/industries where they are working.
