Social activist Medha Patkar on Friday claimed that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Government supplied food and water to the stranded migrant labourers boarding Shramik Special trains and the Centre did nothing for them on the way.
Taking to Twitter, she wrote, "Maharashtra govt supplied food,water to shramik boarding at pune for west bengal...but nothing from the centre on the way as yet!...contempt of apex court or majboor shramik ????"
She added the Supreme Court order exposes the "lies" of the government that ‘No one is now on road’ and 'No Starvation In 3 Months'. "Time to fix the problem & seek accountability from those who failed in their duty," she wrote.
"Hope Govt will wake up to the migrant crisis now that the SC has ordered. Don’t delay putting the acts together. Provide trains in coordination with states. Ensure food, water, medicate on trains," Patkar added.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court had ordered that migrant workers should not be charged any fare, either for rail or road transport, while travelling back to their homes.
The top court also asked the States and UTs to provide food, shelter and water to migrant workers, and also to those found walking back to their homes.
A bench, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and M.R. Shah, asked the state governments to arrange for food, shelter and water for the migrants waiting for their turn to board either buses or trains to return to their homes.
Meanwhile, Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav on Friday said said that despite the difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were trying their best in resolving issues and supplying food and water to all passengers. He added that the State govts provided food and water at the starting stations, while the IRCTC and Railway Divisions arranged meals and water for migrants in trains en-route.
A total of 52 lakh passengers have been moved through 3,840 Shramik Special trains till yesterday, said Yadav.
(With IANS inputs)
