Migrant Crisis: SC pulls up Maharashtra, Delhi for not filing affidavit despite orders

The Supreme Court pulled up the Maharashtra and Delhi government on the migrant workers issue for failing to file an affidavit on the compliance of its order. The bench has asked the governments to submit an affidavit and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the state of Maharashtra and Delhi for failing to file an affidavit on the compliance of its order regarding migrants' miseries amid COVID 19 pandemic.

The bench comprising of Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice MR Shah was hearing a suo moto case on "problems and miseries of migrant labourers".

"When the court passed a specific order directing the states to file affidavits, the court's intention was to see the working of the aforesaid acts. Non-filing of affidavit clearly indicates that the states are not interested in implementing the aforesaid statements," read the order.

The court granted 2 more weeks of time to the states along with Maharashtra and Delhi who failed to file a reply, to submit an affidavit and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.

On 31st July the court had noted that according to its directions the states had to register migrants under the Interstate Migrant workmen(Regulations of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act,1979, the Construction Workers(Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act,1996 and the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act,2008. The states did make rules under the enactments but failed to submit necessary details in their affidavit regarding it. Therefore the court had asked to file it but some states failed to do so.