Advocate Deepak Kansal sought compensation for the families of persons who died or suffered injuries while walking back to their homes amid lockdown; vide a petition filed before the Supreme court. Furthermore, the petition seeks directions to ensure that adequate medical facilities are available to the injured ones. Adding to it, the petitioner prays to “save the migrants labors from atrocities of police/ security agencies.”
Contentions by the Petitioner
The petitioner referred to numerous accidental deaths and injuries of men, women, and children on the road during their journeys back home. He highlighted the fact that there is clear discrimination between interstate workers and the migrants stranded in other countries. Moreover, the government is followingย pick and choose policy while paying compensation to families. This is because the Union has paid compensation only to a few families. This is detrimental to the right to life and livelihood and the right to live with dignity (Article 21) of the migrant workers.
Further, the petition contends that the government made no prior arrangement or adequate policy for their transportation amid lockdown; Thereby holding the lack of coordination between state and the central government responsible for deaths and sufferings of the workers. Accordingly, the petitioner urged the court to direct the Central Government to compensate for all the aggrieved families.
