SC directs States to apprise it of migrant children, their condition

SC Bench also asked all the states impleaded as parties in the case to file replies in the matter.

The Supreme Court Tuesday directed all states to inform it children and their condition on a plea seeking directions for the protection of their fundamental rights amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian also asked all the states impleaded as parties in the case to file replies in the matter. Senior advocate Jayna Kothari appeared for the petitioners. The top court had impleaded all the states on March 8 and issued notice on the plea filed by the Child Rights Trust and a Bengaluru resident seeking directions for the protection of the fundamental rights of migrant children amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The plea stated that due to the severity of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the Union government announced a nationwide lockdown and during this period, migrant children were affected the most and have been among the most vulnerable. “Although there has been marked efforts by the respondents to provide migrant workers with welfare measures, no report emanated from the Central or the State governrnent’s detailing relief measures extended to women and children who are stranded or in relief camps and quarantine centres at source districts. “The unprecedented lockdown, ensuing migrant crisis and the subsequent effect of the same on migrant children and their fundamental and human rights is conspicuous and an ongoing crises,” the plea said.