In the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad
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WWW.LIVELAW.IN C/WPPIL/42/2020 ORDER IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 42 of 2020 With CIVIL APPLICATION (FOR DIRECTION) NO. 6 of 2020 In R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 42 of 2020 With CIVIL APPLICATION (FOR DIRECTION) NO. 8 of 2020 In R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 42 of 2020 With CIVIL APPLICATION (FOR JOINING PARTY) NO. 9 of 2020 In R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 42 of 2020 With CIVIL APPLICATION (DIRECTION) NO. 10 of 2020 In R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 42 of 2020 With CIVIL APPLICATION (FOR JOINING PARTY) NO. 11 of 2020 In R/WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 42 of 2020 ========================================================== SUO MOTU Versus STATE OF GUJARAT & 2 other(s) ========================================================== Appearance: SUO MOTU(25) for the Applicant(s) No. 1 for the Opponent(s) No. 1,2,3 ========================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE J.B.PARDIWALA and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ILESH J. VORA Date : 22/05/2020 ORAL ORDER (PER : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE J.B.PARDIWALA) 1 In response to our order dated 16th May 2020, the State Government has filed a detailed report of the steps taken so far as regards the problems of migrants, arrangements made with the private hospitals for the treatment of the COVID - 19 patients, etc. The report Page 1 of 143 WWW.LIVELAW.IN C/WPPIL/42/2020 ORDER reads as under: ªReport on behalf of the Respondent State pursuant to the order dated 14.05.2020 of this Hon'ble Court in Suo-Moto PIL 42 of 2020 The present Report is being submitted in the captioned proceedings on the basis of the instructions provided by the concerned Departments of the State Government, presenting the arrangements in place as well as important actions taken in the wake of spread of COVID-19, with reference to various aspects indicated in the aforesaid order dated 14.05.2020 of this Hon'ble Court. The Hon'ble Court in its order dated 14.05.2020, has noted some of the submissions made by various applicants and sought a response from the state government with regard to the same. The issues raised by various applicants is as under.: 1. Use of Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation buses to transport the migrant workers (para 6.1) 2. Use of funds of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority for the benefit of construction workers (para 6.2) 3. Bearing of costs of travel of migrant workers to their natives (paras 6.3 & 6.5) 4. Use of community halls, marriage halls for the purpose of providing shelter to migrant workers and for quarantine purposes (para 6.4) 5. Discharge policy of the COVID-19 patients (para 6.6) 6. Necessary Arrangements for N-95 masks (para 6.7) 7. Opening up of hair salons and making services of technicians and electricians available (paras 6.8 & 6.9) 8. Conducting the Standard 10th & 12th examination (para 6.10) 9. Issues at a colony in Asarva (para 6.11) 10.Exorbitant amount being demanded by the private hospitals for treating the COVID-19 patients and lack of beds at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad and SVP Hospital (para 6.12 & 6.13) I. Issues relating to the transportation of Migrant workers 1. Before responding to the submissions canvassed by the applicants as noted by this Hon'ble Court in the order dated 14.05.2020, it is imperative to place on record, certain facts and figures, which would enable a better understanding of the efforts being undertaken Page 2 of 143 WWW.LIVELAW.IN C/WPPIL/42/2020 ORDER by the State in assisting the migration of the migrant labourers. 2. As per the estimates collected by the Labour officials and as per the details obtained from various Industrial associations, unions and through workers' representatives there were around 22.5 Lacs inter- state migrant workers across the State, prior to them being allowed to return to their native states. A bifurcation of the said migrant workers can be made as follows: a. Total number of inter-state migrant workers from other states, in and around Surat (I.e. South Gujarat) is approximately 11.5 Lacs. This figure is arrived at after a detailed survey carried out by 12 teams constituted by the labour department after visiting various GIDCs, engaging with various employee associations, worker associations and state specific worker associations. b. Total number of inter-state migrant workers, in the rest of the State: approximately 11 Lacs. 3. It is submitted that the total number of inter-state migrant workers transferred to their native states by 21.05.2020, is 8,08,294. Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Gandhidham, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Palanpur and Valsad are the main Railway Stations in the State, from where the said migrant workers are being taken to board the trains. A copy of a table containing the details regarding the number of trains, that have departed from the various districts of the State, including the number of people that have travelled on board such trains, is annexed hereto and marked as Annexure-1. 4. An application has been filed highlighting the issues faced by 17 Lac migrant workers in the district of Surat, which essentially include Textile and Power loom workers, Sugarcane migrant workers, migrant workers engaged in the construction sector, Hazira-belt migrant workers and workers engaged in the diamond industry . In the context of the figures stated in the said application, it is most humbly submitted that the said facts and figures, as presented in the application do not distinguish between migrant workers from different States and migrant workers from different districts of the State. As stated hereinabove, the figure of 11.5 Lac migrant workers from different states, I.e. inter-state migrant workers, has been arrived at on the basis of the data collected by 12 teams constituted by the labour department after visiting various GIDCs, engaging with various employee associations, worker associations and state specific worker associations and therefore, figures stated in the application may not be accurate. The following figures are particularly relevant in the context of the said application: a. The total number of Migrant workers from different states, I.e. inter-state Migrant workers, engaged in sugarcane factories, power looms, diamond industry etc. totals to 11.5 lacs, approximately. Page 3 of 143 WWW.LIVELAW.IN C/WPPIL/42/2020 ORDER The total number of trains that have departed to different States (till 19.05.2020) from Surat alone is 205, with approximately 3,06,131 persons. A copy of a table containing the detailed break- up of the number of trains departing from Surat to different States, from 02.05.2020 to 19.05.2020, is annexed hereto and marked as Annexure-1-A. b. Till 19.05.2020, 2,48,402 inter-state migrant workers have departed from Surat to other States through 27,364 vehicles (cars and buses). c. Therefore, a total of 5,54,533 inter-state migrant workers have departed from Surat to their native states using different modes of transportation, I.e. Railways, bus, private transport, etc. A copy of a table containing the detailed break-up of the movement of workers from Surat to other States (till 19.05.2020) is annexed hereto and marked as Annexure-1-B. d. Between 21.05.2020 and 31.05.2020, approximately 300 more trains would ply with 4,80,000 inter-state migrant workers. This therefore, means that by 31.05.2020, only 1,50,000 migrant workers would be left in Surat, of which 1,15,000 have already resumed work in various factories and industries. e. It is submitted that approximately 3,94,437 migrant workers staying in Surat, who are from other districts of Gujarat, I.e. intra- state migrant workers, have left for their native districts through 30,975 vehicles (buses and private cars). It is pertinent to note that the figure of 11.5 Lac workers, as mentioned hereinabove pertains to workers from other States and does not include the labourers in Surat from other districts of the State. A copy of a table containing the detailed break-up of the movement of workers from Surat to other districts of the State (till 19.05.2020) is annexed hereto and marked as Annexure-1-C. f. It may be noted that the entire exercise of enabling migrants to return to their native states is being undertaken with the help of local administration, details of which have been indicated in the report dated 14.05.2020 filed before this Hon'ble Court. A. Movement by Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation 1. With respect to the observations of the Hon'ble Court in the order dated 14.05.2020, pertaining to the movement of migrant labourers, by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), it is pertinent to note that during this period of a pandemic situation, the buses of GSRTC have been in extensive employment for intra state transport, transport to railway stations from meeting points etc. GSRTC started transporting workers immediately on receipt of the directives from the State and has transported stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students Page 4 of 143 WWW.LIVELAW.IN C/WPPIL/42/2020 ORDER and other persons, cumulatively to the tune of 4,60,425 engaging more than 6000 buses on a regular basis till 16.05.2020. 2. In order to assist the movement of the migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons who were stranded within or outside the State and reaching them safely to their native places as per the directives and guidelines of Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, GSRTC has been supporting the District Administration all over the State in the transportation of labourers by placing buses at the disposal of the District Administration.